2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. James 3:2 (NIV)
3 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3 (NIV)
When we remember our temptations to give quick indulgence to disappointment
or irritation or unsympathizing weariness, and how hard a thing it is
from day to day to meet our fellow-men, our neighbors, or even our own
households, in all moods, in all discordances between the world without
us and the frames within, in all states of health, of solicitude,
of preoccupation, and show no signs of impatience, ungentleness, or
unobservant self-absorption,—with only kindly feeling finding expression,
and ungenial feeling at least inwardly imprisoned;—we shall be ready to
acknowledge that the man who has thus attained is master of himself, and in
the graciousness of his power is fashioned upon the style of a Perfect Man.
J.H. Thom
The old dudes could turn a phrase. J.H. takes the two scriptures from today's entry and provides some wonderful elaboration.
The mirror was turned inward when Thom lists the various audiences of our "disappointment or irritation or unsympathizing weariness". Fellow-men--usually I do a good job of keeping my tongue bridled at work. Neighbors never suffer my ire. Ah, but "household". Therein lies the rub.
Social conventions dictate we speak kindly to our neighbors. Unions and grevience threats help us self-monitor our speech at work. But those safeguards seem to fall away in the four walls of the home.
Can't unload at work? Let the spouse have it about the Discover bill. Gotta' bite your tongue when the boss jumps you because of a deadline HE missed? That's okay, the kids needed yelled at for those muddy shoes.
While our ultimate goal should be to have a bridled tongue in all situations, our family, those who are the nearest and dearest to us, should certainly be just as protected from our verbal vomit and ourbursts as the next door neighbor with the yapping Pekingese.
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