WWJS: What Would Jesus SAY ?

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29 NIV

"Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift." Ephesians 4:29 The Message

"...for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Matthew 12:34 NIV

I have been learning about, and practicing mindfulness meditation for the last few weeks at work. I have really enjoyed carving time out of my day to be still and silent, but it is not without it's challenges.

It is certainly a wake up call as to how many thoughts and feelings I have on a daily basis, many of them not useful or downright anxiety-provoking and negative. It is challenging to not be judgemental of these thoughts, and to accept them and treat them with kindness, then re-focus on my breath.

Mindfulness meditation is rooted in Buddhism, and our teacher, who is a Sister of Saint Martha, challenged us to practice our mindfulness this week with the concept of "right speech". She made reference to Ephesians 4:29 noting that speaking kindly and with a positive purpose is not easy, but a wonderful goal to aim for (and to pray for help with!).

Although I have made improvements in this area, I know there is much further to go. This week I challenged myself to pay attention to how I speak about a co-worker. Although I am not downright nasty, I have often found myself speaking less than positively about her. I have to ask myself: What Would Jesus Say?

My prayer this week is that I will catch myself sooner, say less, think about what I say before I say it, and pray for her rather than putting her down. I have not been entirely successful! but I can say that I am more mindful and am making "baby steps" progress.

Lord Jesus, I pray that each word out of my mouth will be a blessing and a gift to those who may receive it. Cleanse my heart, so that what flows out of my heart into my mouth will be positive, good, and helpful. Help me to pause before I say something; be my "editor" so that what my words will be Your words. Amen

Life Steps: Pick one baby step area where you could improve your "right speech". Is there one person you could be kinder to, or one area of your life you pay less attention to your speech (home, work, play), or even one aspect of your speech (tone, swearing, volume) that could use improvement?

More Healing Word of God: Psalm 141:3; Proverbs 21:23; Ecclesiastes 10:12