As a child, I always had to have the last word! If I thought it…I spoke it, and my perception of life was that my opinion was right, and it was very difficult to convince me otherwise. Well life’s lessons have taught me that it’s not always in my best interest to say everything that I think, nor to think that I am always right.

I have learned that sometimes it’s better to say nothing at all. I have also learned that it is important to use caution before we speak at ALL times because once the words leave our lips we can not capture them and put them back in a bottle! You may ask “Why ALL Times?”, well I’m glad you asked. The bible says be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. I believe there’s purpose in having two ears and one mouth, because it gives us the opportunity to listen twice as much before speaking. Listening twice enhances our ability to process the information that’s spoken, and helps to avoid frustration and strife when communicating with others. Listening prepares the heart on what to speak.

I experienced a situation at work this week where I had to totally rely on this truth while dealing with a student. The situation could have easily escalated, but because my heart was in tune with my ears, my lips remained sealed. To everything there is a season…a time to speak and a time to keep quiet. When the time presents itself to speak, we must listen carefully to our inner voice to know what to say and how to say things that speak life.