Minute Musings...Oh Be Careful Little Mouth!

Have you ever seen anybody just lose it, they completely fly of the handle so to speak?
It's an uncomfortable situation;  you feel sorry for the object of their rage, and you feel
embarrassment for the person who has lost control.  If we're honest with ourselves, we
have to admit that there has been times that we have been the one losing it.  When the
tirade is over, there is regret, embarrassment and self-condemnation for allowing our-
selves to be so taken over by anger.

Anger can be one of the most destructive emotions that we have.  It not only will destroy
us, it a major contributor to the breakup of marriages, domestic and child abuse, and
family and friend relationships in general.  We like to reason away the sin (yes, it is a
sin) of anger...a temper runs in my family, so and so drove me to it, you don't know what
they said to me, you just don't realize what they're like to live with...etc.  Anger, like any
other sin can become habitual.  What started off as an occasional eruption of emotion
over the course of time becomes the "normal" way to deal with any frustration, no matter
how big.

The Word of God has a lot to say about the sin of anger.

Psalms 37:8  "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:"

Proverbs 14:17  "He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:"

Proverbs 14:29  "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding:  but he that
is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."

Ecclesiastes 7:9  "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry:  for anger resteth in the
bosom of fools."

I do not want to be known as a fool!  Yet this is exactly what the Bible calls people
who are angry.  You know this kind of person, they are always spouting off about
things that rub them the wrong way, they have absolutely no patience with anything
or anybody.  They are not nice to be around.  When we become Christians we are told
in Colossians 3:8 to put off the "old man", the unregenerated person that we were.
"But now ye also put off all these:  anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
communication out of your mouth."  As a child of God, what comes out of our
mouths should be Christ-honoring, Christ-glorifying speech...ALWAYS.

There is a children's chorus that goes like this:  "Oh be careful little mouth what you
say, oh be careful little mouth what you say.  There's a Father up above, who is looking
down in love, oh be careful little mouth what you say."  God hears all, and someday
we are going to have to give an account to Him of everything that has come out of
our mouths!  There will be no excuses that day.

 It goes on in Colossians 3:10 to tell us what we should put on, "And have put on
the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created
him." 

We are to put on Christ, we should exhibit His character to the world.  The closer we
get to the Lord, the more we will be a reflection of His image to those around us.  Let
your prayer be today, to be more like Christ.  Colossians 4:6  "Let your speech be always
with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every
man."