For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

Have you ever bailed off into a conversation only to find later that you either regretted something you did say or wished you had said something that you didn’t say?  It is much easier to plan a conversation, especially one that may be difficult or not well received.  But, we are not always afforded that luxury.  We want to be smart and savvy with our words.  We want to get the last word in.

One thing I have learned to do, if at all possible, is to wait and have the conversation on my terms.  By that, I mean, I try not to speak in anger.  I have learned that it usually goes much better if I let myself cool down first. During this cooling down period, I pray.  I ask God to give me the words to say.  I ask God to soften the heart of the recipient if there has been some type of disagreement.  I ask him to help this person to receive this well.  Most importantly I also trust in God to let me know if I should confront or simply let it go.

I always ask God to give me a word, meaning a scripture that I can relate to the particular situation that I am facing.  I also consider the instructions we are given in Ephesians 6:10-18.  We are reminded that we are not fighting flesh and blood, but that we fight against the spiritual forces of darkness, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  So, even though you may be doing your best to be a good Christian, know that the devil is at work finding people to throw a wrench into those plans.  Ephesians 6 gives us a number of pieces of armor to use for our protection, but only one offensive weapon, that is the sword of the Spirit, or God’s word.

So, when you must confront a bad situation, do it in God’s way.  You will be amazed at the difference it will make.  I have been attacked by evil.  And the last few times this happened, I stopped, I prayed, I read scripture and I addressed the person using scripture.  It was like drowning a fire in water.  So, if you have a difficult situation and you are going to have to address it with someone and confront them, know that God is there for you.  Know that His word will provide instructions for you and know that His word is the right word.  On numerous occasions, religious leaders tried to trap Jesus, but He never fell into their trap.  He always provided answers that stopped them in their tracks.  In John 8:1-11, a woman caught in the act of adultery is brought before Jesus.  Knowing that Jesus has been preaching mercy and forgiveness, they ask Him if she should be stoned according to law.  Jesus tells them that the one without sin should throw the first stone.  They all walked away.  In Mark 12:17 they tried to trick Jesus into saying that one should not pay taxes, but he looked at their money and saw that Caesar’s inscription was on it. He then told them to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is Gods.  The bible says they marveled at Him.

Jesus also responded to Satan when He was being tempted in the desert.  He began each time with, “It is written”.  Jesus relied on scripture in those situations. I have learned the hard way that for me to use just the right words, they must come from God.  I must rely on Him.  If I am going to confront a particular situation, I must trust in Him to give me the words to say.  I also must trust in Him to guide me away from the situation when it is time to walk away. Because let’s face it, there are people in this world with whom you simply cannot rationalize.

So, when you are speaking to someone in a difficult situation and are hoping to have just the right words to say, turn to God.  He won’t let you down.  Trust in Him to guide you.  And remember, when we speak to anyone in any situation, Psalm 19:14 should be our guide.  It simply says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”  We should pray this scripture daily.  We know that what our heart is full of will spill out through our mouth so, if we pray this then we know that God will protect both our heart and our mouth. And I don’t know about you, but mine need a whole lot of protection.

Have a great day!