I try to be so careful when I post on Facebook or respond to questions or express any opinion. I try to convey in words that do not enrage people, but instead make them think. That, in our current climate, is becoming more difficult. People are much more likely to respond with irritation and incense than ever before. To hold a differing opinion now seems to be more than just a differing opinion. It means we have become an enemy to be vanquished or at the least silenced.
Still, as Christians, we are to speak truth, but do so with compassion and kindness. Our words are to heal and restore and lead others to saving grace.
In Psalm 19, David points first to the marvelous testimony of the LORD seen in the heavens. Then he marvels about the amazing instruction, precepts and ordinances given to guide our lives. He ends with a prayer … a prayer about his thoughts and his words.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” [Psalm 19:14 HCSB]
Considering God’s testimonies, our thoughts and our words must be acceptable to Him. That word “acceptable” is pretty much the same in the Hebrew as it is in the English. The words we speak should be words that we could utter without reproach or embarrassment in His presence. It sets a godly filter on what we think and say.
People used to wear a bracelet to remind them what would Jesus do. In our times of social media, maybe we need a reminder that requires us to ask ourselves: “Would I say this in the presence of my Rock and my Redeemer?”
