Think First
“A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything ~ or destroy it! Remember, it only takes a spark to set off a forest fire.”
James 3:5 The Message
How many of you know people who speak first then think later, or perhaps don’t think at all? I’m sure we can all agree that they’re tough to be around. The damage of words spoken without being thought through first can have devastating results that last for years, or even a lifetime. Unfortunately many of us have been victims of these fire-breathing dragons and find ourselves licking our wounds after those encounters. But there is something worse than being the victim… we just might be the perpetrators without even realizing it!
We can’t control others, but we can control ourselves.
Fortunately, there is a solution that can help prevent you from being one of those “dragon people”. Best of all, it’s in the form of a fun lesson you can use to teach your children called Think First!
Thinking is a muscle that has to be developed!
Let’s look at thinking as a muscle that can be strengthened with discipline and training. Recently I came across an acronym for the word “think” that can be used as a wonderful exercise to strengthen your thinking muscles before you open your mouth to speak. Here’s how it works ~ before you say something ask yourself this:
Is it…True?
Is it…Helpful?
Is it…Inspiring?
Is it…Necessary?
Is it…Kind?
Train yourself and your children to think of these simple questions before you speak, especially during emotionally charged discussions.
Create a brain game with your kids using this acronym. See how quickly they can memorize the questions. Then discuss examples of how to say something true, helpful, inspiring, etc. Be sure to make it fun and do it on a regular basis. Imagine what your children will accomplish when they discipline their thoughts and train their speech to be True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary and Kind. Let’s all remember to THINK first
“Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.”
Proverbs 29:11 NLT
“There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.”
Proverbs 29:20