Watch your words!

I have been affected by the power of words lately - both my words and others' words.  Words that are hurtful, confusing, disparaging.  Words that say things that shouldn't have been said, let alone thought.  Words that make me sad.  Words that make me angry.  My knee jerk, over simple solution is to stop emailing, stop talking, stop the words.  

A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. 

Proberbs 16:28 NLT

A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, 

but it can accomplish nearly anything - or destroy it!  

A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. 

By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, 

throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke 

and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.

This is scary: You can tame a tiger, 

but you can't tame a tongue - it's never been done. 

The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. 

With our tongues we bless God our Father; 

with the same tongues we curse the very men 

and women he made in his image.

Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! 

James 5:5-10 MESSAGE

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, 

but what is good for necessary edification, 

that it may impart grace to the hearers. 

Ephesians 4:29 NKJV

I can't stop the words.  So instead...

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 

Psalm 34:1 NKJV

and try to be wise.

In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, 

But she who restrains his lips is wise. 

Proverbs 10:19 NKJV

(emphasis and gender change mine)