2016年1月25日
無心之言 Careless Words
读经: 雅各書3章1-12節
Reading: James 3:1-12
舌頭在百體裡也是最小的，卻能說大話。-雅各書3章5節
The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.- James 3:5
全年读经: 出埃及記12-13章;馬太福音16章
Bible in a Year: Exodus 12–13; Matthew 16
女兒近來經常感到身體不適，女婿就一直在她身邊呵護、照顧她。我對女兒說：「妳真是嫁了一個好丈夫！」她笑著說：「妳當初可不是這樣想的哦！」
她說的真是一點也沒錯。當年他們訂婚時，我非常擔憂，因為他們倆的性格迥然不同。我們是開明熱鬧的大家庭，而女婿的家庭就相對地保守拘謹。當時，我直言不諱地把不安和疑慮告訴了女兒。
後來我才驚覺，十五年前我無心的批評，竟深烙在女兒心中，甚至還可能破壞他們日後美好的婚姻關係。這段陳年往事還真是提醒了我，與人談話一定要相當謹慎。因為我們總是急於挑出家人、親友，或同事的缺點，或只看到他們的過失，卻忽略了他們的優點。所以，聖經雅各書也提到：「舌頭在百體裡也是最小的」 （雅各書3章5節） 。脫口而出的話語，可能會摧毀人與人之間的關係。但若言談得宜，卻能在職場、教會或家庭當中，營造出祥和安樂的氛圍。
或許我們也應當像大衛一樣，以這樣的禱告作為一天的開始：「耶和華啊，求祢禁止我的口，把守我的嘴。」（詩篇141篇3節）
天父，求祢約束我的言語，
並且勒住我的舌頭，日復一日，
都不讓無心之言脫口而出。
一句話說得合宜，就如金蘋果在銀網子裡。–箴言25章11節
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My daughter has had a lot of ill health recently, and her husband has been wonderfully caring and supportive. "You have a real treasure there!" I said.
"You didn't think that when I first knew him," she said with a grin.
She was quite right. When Icilda and Philip got engaged, I was concerned. They were such different personalities. We have a large and noisy family, and Philip is more reserved. And I had shared my misgivings with my daughter quite bluntly.
I was horrified to realize that the critical things I said so casually 15 years ago had stayed in her memory and could possibly have destroyed a relationship that has proved to be so right and happy. It reminded me how much we need to guard what we say to others. So many of us are quick to point out what we consider to be weaknesses in family, friends, or work colleagues, or to focus on their mistakes rather than their successes. "The tongue is a small part of the body," says James (3:5), yet the words it shapes can either destroy relationships or bring peace and harmony to a situation in the workplace, the church, or the family.
Perhaps we should make David's prayer our own as we start each day: "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Ps. 141:3).
Father, please curb my careless speech and put a guard on my tongue today and every day.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11 nkjv