"Oh Lord, Let the Words of My Mouth"

Today, I was waiting to interview for a job, and I brought my Bible with me to keep my butterflies as calm as possible. I opened up to the book of Sirach randomly and I came across this passage that really got me thinking:

O that a guard were set over my mouth, and a seal of prudence upon my lips, that it may keep me from falling, so that my tongue may not destroy me! O Lord, Father and Ruler of my life, do not abandon me to their counsel, and let me not fall because of them! O that whips were set over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over my mind! That they may not spare me in my errors, and that it may not pass by my sins; in order that my mistakes may not be multiplied and my sins may not abound; then I will not fall before my adversaries, and my enemy will not rejoice over me. O Lord, Father and God of my life, do not give me haughty eyes, and remove from me all evil desire. Let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me, and do not surrender me to a shameless soul. (Sirach 22:27-23:6)

Wow!! This got me thinking! How many times do we women especially allow ourselves to sin through the words of our mouths or the thoughts in our hearts? I know I struggle with this all the time, be it a judgmental thought as silly as "That girl should not be wearing that dress."

It seems ridiculous, right? But it really is those little things that make or break it. We just sin small in our hearts, our evil thoughts, or something nasty about someone we see. Then we convince ourselves that that's not really a sin at all. After all - she really shouldn't wear that dress! But that's not the way of Christ, is it? And where does it end? One sin begets another, and suddenly our mistakes and sins are multiplied!

So, I decided to read this beautiful prayer in the Scriptures over and over until it becomes my theme song!! God is so great, giving us His Word, His Wisdom and Light, and the power to reject sin! What cause for joy!