“ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
Words can be so damaging or so uplifting. Words can tear down or build up. Words can discourage or encourage. We are doing our kids a huge favor if we teach them Biblical guidelines for choosing wise words; AND it will eliminate LOTS of problems in our homes, too.
Scripture has so much to say about our words. One Scripture we used in our home as a good guide for choosing your words was Ephesians 4: 29 ” Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification [according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
The Living Bible paraphrases that verse as ” Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing.”
We would ask our kids:
“Was what you just said GOOD?
Was it HELPFUL?
Did it give a BLESSING to those who heard you speak?
If not, you need to choose different words or not speak right now at all.
Here are more Scriptures telling us what God says about our words. They’d be good ones to have your kids commit to memory. Remember, it’s God’s Word that changes us, not our efforts to be good. That’s why we need to saturate our kids’ minds (ours too) with the Word of God. It gives direction for every problem we’ll ever face.
HERE ARE 10 MORE SCRIPTURES THAT BRING ABOUT FAMILY HARMONY AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, PLEASE OUR LORD.
- USE GENTLE WORDS EVEN WHEN ANSWERING ONE WHO HAS SPOKEN HARSHLY TO YOU
Proverbs 15: 1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger.” or ” Gentle words cause life and health; griping brings discouragement.”
- DON’T TALK A LOT. LEARN TO THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK.
Proverbs 17:27-28 ” He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”
- WE ARE TO SOOTHE OTHERS WITH OUR WORDS
Proverbs 15:4 ” The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”
- DON’T LIE. KEEP YOUR TONGUE FROM SPEAKING EVIL WORDS
I Peter 3:10- ” For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.”
- BEWARE OF SPEAKING CARELESS WORDS
Matthew 12:36 ” But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.”
- YOUR WORDS GREATLY AFFECT OTHERS.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
- SPEAKING KINDLY IS ACTUALLY HEALTHY FOR YOU AND THOSE YOU ARE TALKING TO
Proverbs 16:24 Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
- DON’T SPEAK EVIL TO THOSE WHO SPEAK EVIL OR MEANLY TO YOU. INSTEAD, BLESS THEM WITH YOUR WORDS.
I Peter 3:9 ” Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
9. DON’T SPREAD GOSSIP ABOUT OTHERS
Proverbs 11:13- “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.”
10. LEARN HOW TO SAY THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT TIME
PROVERBS 15:23 ” A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word!”
There are so many more scriptures. We’ve actually written a whole study, Words of Wisdom, to use with your family on the use of your words. It’s such an important area to get a handle on!
- Words of Wisdom Set
- Words of Wisdom Downloadable Set
- Words of Wisdom Workbook
- Words of Wisdom Downloadable Workbook
- Words of My Mouth Scripture Memory Flashcards
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