Presence

Lord, thank you for being my companion on life’s journey, each day, and in each moment, including this one. Help me to tune in to your presence now… 

Scripture

Matthew 12:36-37

³⁶ I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter, ³⁷ for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Reflection

How often do we preface something with ‘I shouldn’t be telling you this, but…’ or ‘It’s not my place to say, but…’ or ‘Okay, I’ll tell you, but don’t tell anyone else…’ We are very careless with our words, and, worse still, we don’t even realise why this matters. We tell stories that aren’t ours to tell. We share secrets said to us in confidence. We pass on falsehoods as facts because we don’t like the person they’re about. Take this past week alone. If everything we said were examined, how would we measure up? Not well. Or not as well as we might expect.

Closing prayer

Dear God, stop me in mid-sentence if I start to say things that are best left unsaid. Make me accountable for my words. Help me live my faith.  Amen.