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How do we use our mouths or communicate with other people in our daily lives? Are the words we use kind and loving, or do we talk ugly to others?

If we’re honest about it, there are times we’re not always careful about how we say something and what we said. How many times have we opened our mouths and said something that we shouldn’t have said?

I know I have, many times. I’ve walked away from situations and thought to myself why did I use that tone of voice? It was wrong for me to do that.

We’ve all been there. It’s so easy to react badly to someone, without thinking, when they say or do something that we don’t like.

The words we use in our daily lives can either build a person up or tear them down, depending on what comes out of our mouths.

WHY DO WE USE OUR MOUTHS IN A BAD WAY?

That’s a good question. I have an answer for that. Here are some reasons why people say things in a bad way.

They get angry when someone says or does something that sets them off.
Some people love to argue with others.
Shame, belittle, and embarrass someone.
Swear so they can let off some steam.
Elevate self because they think they’re better than others. They want others to think they’re smarter than them.
Like to make fun of others who have a speech/health issue, or another problem.
Love calling certain people names.
They offend others by the way they express their political or other views.
Pointing out the negative after someone has said something positive (the person accomplished a goal, got a promotion, etc.).
Some people are jealous of others.
People love to gossip and tell little white lies about someone.
Sometimes people will do it to make someone like them.
Some do it just to get attention. They want to feel like they’re in control/in charge of a situation.

There are other ways the mouth can be used in the wrong way. I’ve only mentioned a few ways.

We need to stop and consider the fact that words can have power, depending on how they are used. How we speak or react to others will reflect who we are. We do not want other people to get the wrong impression of us.

CONTROLLING OUR MOUTHS

What are some ways we can control our mouths?

Think before speaking. Before we speak, we need to ask ourselves these questions. What I’m about to say is, will it hurt the person or give them encouragement? Will the words I say tear them down or build them up? Sometimes it’s better if we keep our mouths closed and just listen to people talk.
Don’t interrupt someone when they’re speaking, just because we feel that we need have the last say. No, we don’t always have to have the last say in a conversation.
Be careful about who we hang around with. Sometimes people will bring up political, religious, or other issues that can trigger our emotions, causing us to react in a bad way. When they do, we need to gracefully walk away from that person, so we won’t react.
Resist the urge to listen to those who gossip and speak badly of others. Walk away from it.
We need to spend less time with people who are always negative. It can rub off onto us.
We need to surround ourselves with people who use positive uplifting words.
Find ways to praise someone and speak words of kindness to them. For example, if they have a need in their life, let them know (and mean it sincerely) that you’ll pray for them. Then do it. People like to hear that we’re praying for them. That will be an encouragement to them.

WE NEED TO PRAY AND ASK FOR GOD’S HELP

One last thing is this. As Christians, the most important thing is this. In our daily lives, we need to pray and ask God to help us have a good witness to those around us. That means asking for God’s help in what we’ll say to someone and how we’ll say it. It means using our mouths in a positive way that will glorify God. It’s through prayer that the Holy Spirit will help and guide us in how our daily conversation should be with others.

Have a wonderful week.

VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/Tessriddle.

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Company information:

T&R Independent Bookstore is a division of T&R Independent Books founded in 2014 by R. Frederick and Tess Riddle. TR Ministry, aka Ministry Services, is both a charge and an exciting outreach to the Christian Community.

My blog this week is about being a volunteer. It is a part of our Christian DNA.

Project Ukraine

My husband and I attend Tri-City Baptist Church here in Port Charlotte. About two weeks ago our pastor announced that a Baptist church in a nearby town would be doing a project called Project Ukraine. This project would involve putting together 100,000 booklets that contained the Gospel of John and the Book of Romans, in the Ukrainian language and it would take three days to complete the project.

The Volunteer Turnout

When we arrived at the church on Tuesday of last week, we noticed that the parking lot was full of cars. After finding a parking space, we headed to a certain area to walk inside and a surprise awaited us.

We were shocked at what we saw when we walked inside because the fellowship hall was full of people. And they were sitting at different tables working on the project. Even the church foyer and Sunday school classrooms were filled with volunteers from different churches and working together.

When a volunteer worker from the church we were at took my husband and me to a room where space was available for us to work, we kept looking around at all the people who had turned out. And we spotted many people from our own church scattered about working and fellowshipping.

It was such a joy that we ended up staying longer than we had planned and it was hard finding a stopping spot so we could leave. Neither one of us complained.

Doing the volunteer work brought joy to my heart.

We got to meet some of the people from other churches.
We met some Ukrainians and were able to work on the project with them. They knew English, so we were able to talk some to them as we worked.
We had an opportunity to sample some Ukrainian food. We even sampled some Ukrainian candy that had been put out in a dish.

The most important of all was the fact that we had an opportunity to put booklets together that would be shipped to many Ukrainians, that told them about JESUS.

Just a note in passing, but when I took a break to go sample some food, I also had an opportunity to hand out a couple of my business cards for T & R Independent Books. I carry some on me everywhere I go.

Back to volunteering

Last Wednesday night at church, our pastor stood up and announced that the project was complete, all except for shipping out all the boxes that held the 100,000 booklets. He also told us that other projects might come up in the future, that we can volunteer to help with.

A Teenage Volunteer

Over the years when living in Michigan, from the time I was a teenager, II volunteered in helping different churches and organizations put care packages together to send out to our military troops around the world (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines). They showed their appreciation for what we did for them, by sending ‘Thank you’ notes to us.

You Can Volunteer

We can all be volunteers in helping other churches or organizations accomplish what they need to accomplish, even if it’s only for one day per month for only a few hours. They’re often short-handed and will be appreciative of any help they can get.

An Inspiring Story

An article in the Broadcaster, a magazine by Christian Radio Network, tells the story of a born-again believer and a deacon in his church in Kyiv, Ukraine. It tells of this man and an impossible journey made possible by God. And then he started a volunteer work in America. CRI itself is a ministry you might want to check out.