I was on vacation and  checking out some of the local seafood dishes, when I ended up near a family  with some serious interpersonal troubles. I felt for the young adult children, who one after another, were berated by their mom. The evening was meant to be a celebration of sorts, but there was nothing celebratory about the way mom was going after her children.If I had been wiser, I would have asked for a different table. Instead, I simmered about parents who don’t know what’s appropriate and what’s not.

I simmered until I began to think about what people overhear when I’m speaking. I thought of times and places I said something  I wouldn’t want others to overhear. I wondered, what have people heard me say when I was  meeting a friend in a restaurant?  How about those family gatherings or daily conversations? What message have I been broadcasting, that I did not intend to send out?

I was reminded of the words found in the New Testament Book of James, “Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself.” James 1:26

Wise and loving speech does not come easily. Learning to speak in love is a life long task, and one that we continue to grow into.