Open Mouth—Insert Foot

 By Andrea Merrell

 

Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in

 others in a conversation, not put them down, 

not cut them out. Colossians 4:6 MSG

 

There I was again—wrestling my foot out of my mouth. Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

 

We’ve all been there at one time or another … open mouth—insert foot. We tend to react in the heat of the moment and spew forth words without thinking. Without processing them. No filter.

 

Some believe it’s okay to be brutally honest. While honesty truly is the best policy, it never gives us the right or free rein to say whatever we want, especially at the expense of others. Hateful, mean-spirited words go deep and leave painful scars.

 

The Bible tells us to be gracious in our speech. To let our words be seasoned with salt. To edify others. Jesus—as always—is our example. He knew how to speak the truth in love without destroying someone in the process. That gives us hope. It’s possible to be tactful without being testy.

 

The next time you’re angry or frustrated and open your mouth, weigh your words and attitude before you insert your foot.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and David Castillo Dominici.)

 

TWEETABLE

The next time you’re angry or frustrated and open your mouth, weigh your words and attitude before you insert your foot. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

 

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