Do you remember that little song many of us were taught in Sunday School: “Be careful little eyes what you see, Be careful little eyes what you see, There's a Father up above, and He's looking down with love, So be careful little eyes what you see.” The song then goes on, “Be careful little ears what you hear” and “Be careful little feet where you go”. This is all very good advice for us all, not just children. In fact, it may be even more applicable for adults than for children, as adults have far more opportunity to see, hear, and do the wrong things.

There needs to be one other warning to that little song, though. It should include “Be care little mouth what you say!” Our words are so important, both to ourselves and to others. The Bible warns us; “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21) By the using the tongue well, or using or it badly, the fruit of our tongues will be either good or bad, life or death.

Anyone who has ever been hurt by the careless or hateful words of a loved one knows exactly how devastating such words can be. But our words have the power to not only hurt others, but to hurt ourselves, as well. How? By giving the enemy of our souls a weapon to use against us. The devil is not omniscient, like God. He cannot know what is in our minds or in our hearts. He only knows what he hears us speak. He will use our words against us every single chance he has. And believe me, he is listening for just such opportunities!

For instance, if you are anxious about losing your job, and speak your anxieties out loud, Satan will speak your words back to you, increasing your anxieties and causing you to forget God's providence. Or if you and your spouse are having difficulties, and you speak these things out loud, the devil will multiply them and cause you to think there is no hope for your marriage, except to divorce. Or if you feel discontent at your circumstances, when you speak such things Satan will always keep them in the very forefront of our minds, increasing the problem until it seems overwhelming.

We arm our enemy when we speak our worries, frustrations, anxieties, fears, and discontentment out loud, so that he can hear. The alternative, and much better choice, is to takes our concerns to our loving Heavenly Father in prayer. Satan is not privy to the words we speak privately to God in prayer. We can safely lay all our cares at the foot of the throne, asking God to show us how to deal with them.

Then, we need to “be careful little mouth what you say.” Instead of speaking our problems, speak God's word into our situation. Find Scriptures that relate to the issue, or find promises of God's provision. The Bible assures us He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1) Hide these verses in your heart, to use whenever you start to to bemoan your circunstances. Always focus on what is good, instead of what is wrong, and let these be the things you speak, so that you don't give the enemy any weapons to use against you!