“I can’t believe I just said that,” occurs more and more in today’s society. While working in Philadelphia nearly 15 years ago, I became a regular in an establishment in Bensalem, 30 minutes north of downtown, passing time during my hour long lunch break. An older couple sat in their usual perch, spewing venom, cursing like sailors day in and day out. Four letter words echoed throughout this restaurant, regardless if innocent ears were present or not.
In most cases, individuals are shaped by their parents or guardians, with the good, bad and ugly sprinkled in together. Right and wrong is determined over time as one’s worldview draws the lines in the sand. Those positive traits passed on to children, inspire kids to cling to and acquire these attributes. Meanwhile, the bad habits demonstrated by misguided souls are left behind, at least as much as one can flee before their natures became ingrained within you. Lost lips just don’t appear out of the blue, its a lifelong journey of picking up unwholesome slang deemed acceptable by peers.
The Psalmist provides a cure for this disease, a prescription to heal this ailment. Psalm 119:13 suggest a spiritual washing your mouth out with soap. Instead of regurgitating poisonous words, replace lost lips with the Words of the Bible. As you recount God’s laws, blessings will replace any curses that you once verbalized. Though your current state of affairs might be summed up as lost lips, there is a God in heaven who wants to transform your vocabulary, Ephesians 5:4. Therefore, be wise, making the most of every conversation you partake in, Ephesians 5:15-16.
by Jay Mankus