No More Speaking...Today

One of my two older children have been having trouble lately in our home with speaking kindly to the other older child in love and in a way that glorifies God. So after constantly encouraging, disciplining, and reproofing, only to be doing it all over again the next hour was exhausting and frankly, just ridiculous! So I told the one who was having trouble they were not to talk to their sibling for the rest of the day. I sat the child down and told them that, "because you are unable to speak in love and because I've warned you too many times today, mom has to to intervene in such a way that shows you just what a privilege and blessing it is to have the gift of a sibling, and you have not been using your words to 'build up', but instead to 'tear down' the person God has put in your life to honor and love. Everything your sibling says, you are looking for a way to argue and stir up strife instead of promoting peace."

Both children just thought this was the worst thing EVER! And both fell into crocodile tears, but I knew in my heart it was an instant sorrow for the ugly that had been coming out, and they understood right away. But I knew of no better way than to take this special privilege away just to prove to this child the blessing it is to have a relationship and friendship with their sibling. The next morning this child was also instructed to write a letter to their sibling asking for forgiveness as well as orally and what they would be working on to fight the sin of unkind speech in their heart.

Of course I thought after I walked away from this incident that maybe I ought to keep my mouth closed some days too when all that seems to be coming out is "ugly", God always seems to use these child training times to correct my own ways as well...
Here are some verses we looked at last night and I told this child that I too, will be practicing them and meditating on them because I too, struggle in the area of kind speech and my responses to be more patient and gentle...

I have this awesome book I refer to called "For Instruction in Righteousness" by Pam Forster (can be found on Doorposts.net or com??) which has been a jewel in helping to aide us in finding verses, and illustrations, and examples of creative discipline to fit the offense. The Bible has a whole heaping lot to say about our speech, more than I'd prefer probably (a tad convicting):) But nonetheless enough to prove that God is serious about the way we speak to one another and how it all stems in our hearts..."O Lord, cut it out of me!"


Eph. 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up..."

Prov.12:18 "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Prov. 15:4 "A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit."

Ps 141:3 "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips."

Prov. 15:28 "The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil."