Or?they will take control of you! As Matthew 12:34 NIV says?for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When you open up your mouth whatever you have hidden in your heart, whatever you have tucked away in the back of your mind, at some point in time or another, comes out of your mouth. When it does you better watch out! The words you allow to fall from your lips are a direct telltale sign that shows those around you the condition of your heart.

If your heart is in good spiritual condition you don't have much to worry about, but if there is any type of dissention tucked away in there anywhere then it's time to take a moment and ask God to remove the root of the problem that's causing you to act in a way other than normal. It is never God's intention to have us say things to each other than can cause another to fall.

There are many reasons why you should get a hold of your tongue and keep watch over what you say, although none more important than how if affects your relationship with your spouse and/or your children. They are the ones who count on you to be their pillar of strength and example of someone of self-control. Harsh words spoken rashly can do more damage to the ones you love than anything else you could do other than infidelity.

Statistics show that the greatest problem in marriages today is the breakdown of communication between spouses. It's not uncommon for a marriage to get to the point of calling it quits when offense after offense goes without being resolved and resentment builds, then words are spoken that in a different set of circumstances wouldn't have been said and one or both partners are injured. It's not uncommon for us to be more free with our words with the ones closest to us, but this isn't always a good thing.

As hard as it is in today's world to keep a marriage from divorce court, being more mindful of the things that come from our mouths is of the utmost importance. With your words you can bring healing and restoration or destruction to your relationship. You choose?

It is also important to control the words you use over your own life. With the way you talk about yourself, you can set the tone for your future. If you consistently speak in a negative way about yourself then you will bring into existence a poor self image and lower your self-esteem. God doesn't want us to allow any words to come from our lips that are not edifying or pleasing and there is plenty of reason for it. When you don't control what you say then the fallout from words said without thinking can stay with you and those you spoke them to for a long time.

Make sure that you remain in God's word and be mindful to renew your mind daily so that you can have a better sense of self-control in the area of your tongue.