The Words of My Mouth

"Let the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my

Redeemer."

Psalm 19:14  NKJV



I have this verse printed on blue construction paper and hanging above one of our doorframes. I actually have a number of verses hung throughout the house, but lately this is the one I have found quoting to myself far too often.

Usually it is not the words of my mouth that are a problem.  After all, it really is not that hard to keep my mouth shut.  Usually.  Last night at work I sort of lost it.  Well not sort of, I did lose it.  I waitress four nights a week at a Cracker Barrel, and my coworkers are good people.  Most of them do not know Jesus, however they are quite familiar with Mary Jane.  Their vocabulary is quite colorful, to put it mildly.  But I like my coworkers and I usually do not give too much thought to their adjectives.

Many times in a night I will hear the word "retard" casually tossed out as a teasing insult.  I do not like it, but I am not out to change the world one coworker's language at a time so I ignore.  Unfortunately last night I had enough when three of the cooks were having too much fun in the "teasing insult" category.  I really was not paying attention to the conversation, but kept hearing "you're so retarded that...." and "well, you are so retarded that..."  I snapped, and I yelled at them.  Yes, yelled at them that they had better lay off  and so on.  So much for the words of my mouth being acceptable in the Lord's sight.  No seasoning with grace there! 

To their credit, they do not know anything about my family.  One gave a totally bogus apology that they were discussing the retard pedal on their cars.  One just avoided me for the rest of the shift. And one gave a very sincere apology. 

How much better am I then they, though?  No I don't call people retards, but I have been known to call the driver that cuts me off an idiot.  Or a moron.  Both of those words used to be the medical diagnoses that preceded "mentally retarded".  They were getting used as insults though, so in 1965 the term was switched from "idiot" to "mentally retarded".  I do need to take more care in what I say.

Even when I manage to keep my mouth closed, it does not mean that the meditations of my heart are acceptable.  That is the hard part.  Not even thinking less than pleasing thoughts?  I have a lot to work on.  If the meditations of my heart are pleasing to the Lord, then I know that the words of my mouth will be too.  I am thankful He is my strength and my Redeemer.