In The Bible Today; Proverbs 6

The Bible is a timeless text of perennial wisdom. It tells us not only of God and mankind, but it also guides us on our path as spiritual beings in human bodies.

Though the Bible sometimes seems inapproachable and complex, these studies are designed to make the Bible accessible to everyone and applicable to everyday life.

This study uses the SOAP technique: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. As you read through and study the bible, and a verse sticks out to you, write it down. Then write down your personal observations regarding the scripture, along with historical notations and any other pertinent information. After you make a thorough observation of the scripture, meditate on how you might apply the lesson learned to your own life. How can you use this particular verse to improve your life or make your spiritual journey better? Finally, write out a prayer to God, as you think about the scripture.

This technique will help you find more meaning from your study of scripture, and will help deepen your walk along a spiritual path.

Namaste Friends.

Scripture: Proverbs 6: 2-3; "2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend." King James Version

Scripture: Proverbs 6: 2-3; "2 you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion— and give your neighbor no rest" New International Version

Scripture: Proverbs 6: 2-3; "2 If you have been snared with the words of your lips,
If you have been trapped by the speech of your mouth, 3 Do this now, my son, and release yourself [from the obligation]; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor [to pay his debt and release you]. Amplified Bible

Observation: One of the hardest things to do in life is to admit when you have misspoken and then humble yourself and seek forgiveness. This doesn't necessarily mean you have lied. Perhaps you gossiped about someone, or spoke unkindly about a friend to someone else. It could be that you were rude to a clerk, or unkind to your spouse. Or maybe you yelled at your kids. There are many different ways to be trapped by our words, and if we speak, chances are we will sometimes misspeak.

Once you have misspoken, you should make amends. The hardest part of this can be when we are harsh with people we love. Nothing is harder than going back to apologize to your kids or your spouse, and asking their forgiveness. It is much easier to apologize to someone you may never see again.

This Proverb speaks specifically about our friendships and close relationships. It is easy to forget when we have spoken harshly with someone we will never see again. It is much harder to look at the hurt face of a loved one and realize that the words you spoke have injured their heart. It is the people we love that we often hurt the worst, and most often, it is our words that can do the most damage.

There is a great internal release as if a weight is lifting, when you can admit you were "ensnared by the words of your mouth", and you seek to make it right. Leaving the apology unspoken only makes your heart sick. This embarrassment often leads us to continue lashing out verbally.

Instead of bearing the burden of internal anguish, take a deep breath and humble yourself. Apologize for your harsh words. Seek forgiveness. Sincerely reach out to those you have hurt and make amends. In this way, you can free yourself from the burden of harsh words.

Application: There are many times when I have said an unkind word, or been harsh with my husband, and I feel perfectly justified. I tell myself, "Well, they deserve it because they said this. Or, he didn't do that. Or, they made me mad." I pout for a while, and in my sulking and self pity, I usually end up feeling worse. When I have gossiped, or lied, or been unkind, and I can't even blame the other person for wronging me, I feel even jerkier.

I can tell when I have spoken harshly or spoken out of turn, by the reaction of my loved ones. The hurt look, the cool demeanor, sometimes the tears, they are all indicators that my tongue has been hard. Once I get over my self-righteous attitude, I realize that I have hurt someone I care about.

Each time, I know what to do. It is a matter of time, sometimes a long time, for me to humble myself, get off my high horse and approach the person I have wronged. Seeking forgiveness feels harder than walking across a bed of hot coals, the reward however, is peace of mind. It is a priceless gift that comes only when you do the right thing.

Today, if you speak unkindly or hurt someone with your words, try to humble yourself. Of course, once the words have been spoken, you can never take them back. You can, however, seek their forgiveness and let them know that you regret hurting them.

Prayer: Lord, today guard my mouth, that I don't speak without thinking. When I do misspeak, help me humble myself quickly and graciously.

Let me speak slowly, weighing the words before they leave my mouth. Let me speak kindly, and remember that I can heal or hurt with my words.

When I speak, help me offer love, kindness and forgiveness, rather than anger, judgement and harshness. Let my heart and my tongue reflect the love that you offer to me every day.

Amen.