Monthly Devotional

Me and My Big Mouth

October 2007

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. (Proverbs 21:23)

I have a big mouth. There I said it, I admit it. I’m a fairly quiet soccer mom, but basketball brings out the worst in me. And last week at softball I was definitely NOT slow to speak.

Our first player up was one of our strongest batters. After the pitcher threw two strikes, the next pitch crossed the plate high on our batter’s shoulders. Our player did not swing, she just looked at the third pitch. Much to the coaches’ and fans’ surprise, the umpire yelled, “STEE RIKE!” But it was high! We all knew it was a bad call.

The second batter stepped up to the plate. This time when the pitches were high, the umpire called them balls. I should have stayed quiet. Instead, I called out, “Good eye, that one was high, too.”  And then again, “Way to watch it, that one was high, TOO.”

After we batted, and our girls took the field, the umpire approached our side and said, “I heard someone over here trying to influence my calls,” I squirmed in my seat. “I don’t know who was saying it,” he continued in a calm voice, “but I want you to know, I’m just a volunteer Dad, and I don’t have to take that. ” I felt terrible. Guilty. “I’m sorry,” I said, revealing I was the guilty scorekeeper.

I continued keeping score, but felt sick to my stomach. The ump was really a nice guy, and a dad, and a volunteer, and I should have been slow to speak. As the game progressed, he did come by. We chatted, and all was healed, except I felt so embarrassed. It’s hard to undo the errors of the mouth. “I really sinned on that one,” I said to my co-scorekeeper. She smiled back. “I’d call it an “error,” she said to console me. Was there a way to mark “E” in the scorebook?

Probably not, but it gave me pause for thought. Sometimes I may think I have influence with my words. And sometimes I do. But sometimes my words have a negative influence, and detract from Jesus’ message.

I think that’s why the verses from James 1:19-20 say, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

My girls and I reinforced these verses by drawing pictures of QUICK, SLOW, SLOW in our journals. Why not visualize a SLOW sign when you’re about to open your mouth too wide?

Lord, Help me not to let any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Based on Ephesians 4:29.)

Copyright © 2007 - Ann Marie Stewart. All rights reserved.

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