Watch your mouth

Kellye is the untiring leader of the weekly children's messages on Sunday mornings at our church. Others help occasionally, but this elementary school teacher is the main one, I guess you'd say.

Just about every Sunday, whether it's Kellye or another leader, the children say things that I find hilarious, even if not everyone else does.

This morning's topic was thanking God for our country, since it's the weekend prior to Independence Day.

Kellye: I love birthdays, don't you?

Kids: Yes!!!!

Kellye: What do you put on a birthday cake?

Kid A: Ice cream!

Kellye: Well, yes, but what else do you put on a cake?

Kid B: Candles!

Kellye: That's right. See the fireworks on the screen? Those are like America's candles.

Kid C: Wha---?

Kellye: Is that sky in the picture bright or dark?

Kids: Dark!

Kellye: So where is the light coming from?

Kids: From the fireworks!

Kellye: As followers of Jesus, where does our light come from?

Kid A: The sky!

A little bit later in the message, Kellye said since believers are the light of God in the world, we should be careful how we live.

Kellye: Be careful with your words.

Kid A: No!

You never know what children are going to say.

Or old people. Or teenagers. Or adults, college students, bikers, pastors, musicians, you name it.

I often have to remind myself that words don't have to come out of my mouth just because they passed through my mind, but sometimes I can't slam the gate on my gabber fast enough.

Recently I was riding with someone down the interstate. The driver noticed several leaves flapping in the corner of her hood.

“How did I get a tree in my hood?” she asked.

Without thought or brakes, my mouth opened and out came, “You were swerving so much, maybe it got scared and tried to jump out of the way.”

I got a death stare, and I said, “That came out of my mouth, didn't it?”

“What did you say?” she asked me.

Nothing.

“Repeat it.”

So, like an idiot, I did.

A counselor told me one time that he was sitting in on a meeting with a parent and a child at a school where he worked. The mother responded to something the principal told her about why her son was in trouble by saying, “I knew it. I got the ESPN.”

Yes, she surely meant ESP. But before he knew what was happening, out of the counselor's mouth came the SportsCenter theme – “Duh-duh-DUH, Duh-duh-DUH.”

He was asked to leave the meeting.

We do need to be careful what we say, and not just because it may offend others. Jesus said that what comes out of our mouths really is coming from our hearts.

And everything the Bible tries to teach us comes from the truth that every sin, every obedient act, every act of evil, every moment of worship all comes from our hearts.

So, watch your mouth. 

But check your heart first.