Me and my big mouth, haha! Time and time again I get super convicted as I find myself saying the wrong thing…maybe saying far more than I needed to say…or perhaps saying it totally in the wrong manner...or even saying it for the wrong reasons…pretty much saying things that should have remained unsaid. Again and again I am soberly reminded...often a little too late...that my words have the power of life and death in them. It’s totally a lifelong journey isn’t it, guarding our tongue? Thankfully I can say that with the help of the Holy Spirit, through God’s gorgeous Word so full of treasure, haay ho…I’m definitely getting better...PTL!  I find that when I have been fasting I am far more sensitive to the words that I speak, often times thinking about what I am saying before I say it and being crazy mad intentional with my words. But what happens when I'm not fasting?; It's a little harder to manage that's for sure but it's not impossible, because we have the Holy Spirit right? Amazing principles that help us be the best we can be.  I love how God's amazing laws are found everywhere in society.   

In fact something I came across the other day which is surely yet unknowingly rooted in the Word, regarding gossip, from Socrates the great philosopher definitely resonated with my spirit:

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?" "Hold on a minute", Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
 
"Triple filter?"
 
"That's right", Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?" "No", the man said, "Actually I just heard about it and ..."

"All right", said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?" "No, on the contrary."
"So", Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really." "Well", concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

How true right? I wish I could have the Triple Filter Test programmed into my mind so it kicked in by default every time I said something!! Such a sobering reminder…maaan may all that we say be true, good and useful. May it be loving and may build up others.  May it be wholly beneficial and truly wholesome. And hey...if it’s none of the above may it be kept totally to ourselves!

Ephesians 4:29 (AMP)

Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favour) to those who hear it.

Matthew 12:36-37 (AMP)

But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak.  For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.

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