Friday!

Proverbs!

Whoever guards his mouth and tongue 

Keeps his soul from troubles.

Proverbs 21:23 NKJV

Our words are important.

This word "guards" here is used in Genesis 2:15 where God put people into creation to tend it, to keep it. 

It's used as a shepherd looks after their sheep.

This is how we're to guard, protect, tend to our words.

The things we say or write affect others.

But they also affect us.

This proverb connects the tending of our words with keeping our soul safe. 

The word here is "nephesh", our soul, emotions, the essence of who we are 

Our words affect our very person.

The words we say.

The words we write.

And the words we allow to run around in our minds. Thoughts pop in, but it's what we ruminate on, what we leave unchallenged by truth, what we let sit.

Those words get into our soul.

When I gossip about others, when I repeat the lies I hear about myself (ruined, worthless, unloveable) and allow them a foothold, when I speak without thinking, without listening deeply, then I'm not tending, guarding my words. 

So guard your words. Keep some out.

Tend them. Prune some.

For the sake of your soul, for who you are. 

#proverbs

#wisdom

#somethingtochewon

#worthy

#loved

#accepted