The Things We Say…!

Luke 6:45 'The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart …. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.'

Every day God presents us with opportunities to impact the lives of others. We do not have to travel to foreign countries to make a difference in this world. We just have to touch the lives of the people that we encounter in our everyday lives. A kind word to a colleague or the lady at the till in the grocery store can impact them more than we may ever know. Often we feel the urge to say something nice to someone but then shyness or the fear of rejection overcomes us and so we say nothing. When we have these urges, it could be God prompting us to do His work and by not doing so we have missed an opportunity to bless someone else.

One of our biggest failings is to let down our 'guard' when we are with the ones that we love most – our families. They often bear the brunt of our unpleasant day as we take our frustrations out on them or allow their actions to annoy us to the extent that we snap out at them in anger. We say things to our families that we would never say to someone else! It is so important for us to remember that they are the ones whose lives we influence the most, particularly our children. However, we are all human, we all have good and bad days and there are times when we will be angry or frustrated. The joy of families is that they know you well enough to know when your behavior is out of character and as a result of things going wrong.

What we say and how we say it is also an indication to others, who may not know us well, of our character. Don't allow anger and frustration to take control and cause you to mistreat someone. Rather let the goodness of your heart make an impact on someone's life today in such a way that they are encouraged and uplifted. Remember that, as a child of God, you are also His representative to the world around you. Let His goodness, love and mercy shine through you today.