Don’t Just Think Before You Speak

Scripture: Revelation James 3:2-5 (NLT)

2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. If we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. 3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”

Observation

Have you ever said something and regretted it immediately? Almost everyone has. The wisest among us will tell you they also make mistakes in the things they say. Knowing that we all make errors brings me to this reflection’s title that comes from a famous saying, think before you speak. This advice is excellent if you are not a child of God. Any unbelievers can waste their time thinking before speaking, and some may be successful. However, if you read the entire scripture of James 3, you learn you cannot control your tongue. Thinking before you speak is an excellent temporary fix, but the best way to live as a child of God is to pray before you think, then you can think before you speak. The Bible says to renew our minds daily, so it will be imperative for us to pray about the thought that comes to our minds. So don’t just think before you speak; instead, here is what you should do as a child of God:

Application

You will need to bring every thought into your mind to Christ through prayer. Pray to ask the Lord to renew your mind in His words because our mind is the control center of our body. If we can bring the thoughts planted there to God, then the words we speak will be more powerful and less regretful. Especially when we are in situations where our emotions are highest, pray and examine what is on your mind first. If you can bring your thoughts to Christ, your words will be better. The prayer that you pray before you think will organize the thoughts in your mind. So don’t just think before you speak; pray before you think before you speak.

Reflection

What do you do when you say something you regret? Share your strategy so someone can learn from you.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me pray before I speak so that my words only edify and not hurt, allow me to bless and not curse, may you give me the determination which of my thoughts need to go to Christ to be renewed by Him, in Christ Jesus name I pray. Amen.