wOrDs

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." - Benjamin Franklin

"During periods of great stress, words that seem immaterial or are uttered in jest might become fixed in the patient's mind and cause untold harm." - American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." - Rudyard Kipling

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14 NASB)

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of understanding.
(Proverbs 10:8-21 NASB)

Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up.
(Proverbs 12:25 MSG)

A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.
Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense. GOD doesn't miss a thing-- He's alert to good and evil alike.
Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim.
Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.
Congenial conversation--what a pleasure! The right word at the right time--beautiful!
(Proverbs 15:1-33 MSG)

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.
It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.
He who gives attention to the word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
The wise in heart will be called understanding, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the discipline of fools is folly.
The heart of the wise instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
(Proverbs 16:18-24 NASB)

The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, and a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.
Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat--refreshing! Like billowing clouds that bring no rain is the person who talks big but never produces.
Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.
Singing light songs to the heavyhearted is like pouring salt in their wounds.
(Proverbs 25:11-20 MSG)

The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
(Ecclesiastes 9:17 NASB)

The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:11-14 NASB)

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 MSG)

Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified.
We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.
A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse.
A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds.
A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything--or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that.
By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue--it's never been done.
The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer.
With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women He made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?
Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.
Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom--it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.
Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
(James 3:1-18 MSG)

Wow! May my words reflect You, O Lord, and not me!