“Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Psalm 141:3 NIV

My family lovingly jokes that my grandfather has never met a stranger. His extroverted, friendly disposition was passed on to my mother and then on to me. I love people. I love observing people, meeting new people, chatting with people… yes, I am a people person. This love can be a wonderful tool for God, but it can also be quite dangerous. Combined with my love for people is my love for words. Too many times I have let my OMIF (open mouth insert foot) syndrome get in the way of God’s work.

Proverbs 18:21 states that “the tongue has the power of life and death.” God has given us profound possibilities within the power of our words. We have the power to speak confidence over our children’s hearts, but we also have the potential to cripple their self-esteem. We can be our spouse’s biggest champion or we can tear them down and make them feel two feet tall. We can bring life into our friend’s day or pull a dark cloud over their sunshine. This power within us effects everyone we come in contact with. What an awesome responsibility!

With such power within us, God wants us to be in constant communication with Him to discern when He wants our thoughts to be spoken aloud or when they should stay buried in the recesses of our minds. Verse three of Psalm 141 has become a dear prayer of mine. An unknown author once said that “A closed mouth gathers no foot.” Let’s keep our feet where they belong and choose to speak life into those around us!

Noree Wegmeyer

photo credit: http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/BJN-31210