"WITH MY LIPS!"

Psalms 119:10-13                 (ESV)
"10 With my whole heart I seek YOU; let me not wander from YOUR commandments!
11 I have stored up YOUR word in my heart, that I might not sin against YOU.
12 Blessed are YOU, O LORD; teach me YOUR statutes!
13 "WITH MY LIPS" I declare all the rules of YOUR mouth."


Not trying to think more of myself than I should, I have always been a person with "plenty to say".  Looking back, my words were almost always an attempt to be "funny", but sometimes crossed the line to becoming "cutting", or maybe even "hateful"!  My intentions were never to hurt, but if hurting occurred I accepted that as part of the burden I was assigned.
Nine years ago next month I awoke to a brain hemorrhage in the word recall portion of my brain and I quickly found out that some of the things I WANTED to say didn't need to be said NEARLY as badly as I might have believed they did.  It seemed as though I could THINK the words were going to come out correctly, but just as the right words got to MY LIPS, the wrong words would jump into the spot and there was no sense to be made by my speech!  When you have absolutely NO CONTROL over the word selection that is coming from your mouth, you re-evaluate what you say "WITH MY LIPS" before you embarrass yourself greatly!

GOD has used the brain hemorrhage to teach me how to make sure the words I speak are edifying and uplifting to HIM.  Where I formerly looked for a way to be funny (or sarcastic), I have found that words spoken have to be dealt with, even if we don't want to admit it at the time!

Dealing with the words from Psalms 119 are definitely not the most pleasant to someone who is attempting to be funny, or cute!  "With my WHOLE HEART I seek YOU..."?  "I have stored up YOUR WORD..."?  "Teach me YOUR statutes...."?  And, to me, the most convicting statement "WITH MY LIPS" I declare all the rules of YOUR mouth"!!  If I take this verse to heart, how can I have time to engage in criticism or sarcasm?  Do "I declare all the rules of YOUR mouth" with demeaning words or unpleasant rhetoric?  GOD's Word doesn't require any assistance in accomplishing HIS purpose.  HE may use things HE puts in our minds, but HE used a donkey in Numbers 22!  HE can get HIS message across on HIS own!

As I age, and continue to hopefully become more of what GOD has designed me for, my prayer is that I will glorify GOD with my remaining days.  I pray that "WITH MY LIPS" will come words of edification and encouragement.  Sure, there are times when a "light" moment can be shared with family or close friends, but I don't want to be cutting or hurtful any longer "WITH MY LIPS"!!!