Foot in Mouth Disease Poultice

We've all done it..."putting your foot in your mouth"... saying something stupid or inappropriate for the circumstances.  When the realization hits, the awkwardness is so terrible it puts you into a kind of temporary shock, usually followed by even more awkward attempts to correct it, which serve only to drive the foot deeper into your throat.

Whoever said "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" was an idiot.  Words last so much longer than physical wounds, because words can injure the psyche and still have effect long after the conscious brain has forgotten the impact.  (Note to self:  no matter how skinny she is, NEVER ask if she is pregnant).

What can you do when you can't take it back?  You must apologize.  The apology is the outward sign of the inward desire.  But that isn't enough.  The Bible says that the power of life and death is in the tongue.  And in case you didn't know, everything ....EVERYTHING starts in the spirit.  So whatever damage might be inflicted has to be fixed in the spirit first.  So here is your foot in mouth poultice:

• Pray for forgiveness for any injury you may have caused as soon as possible.
• Admit you're a knucklehead to the person to whom you just said the stupid thing.
• Forgive yourself and move on.

If you are the person who has been the victim of a careless assault of words, you need a poultice of your own:

• Pray and ask the Lord to help you heal and forget the injury
• Choose to forgive the other person.  If it helps, ask the Lord to show you how you have been guilty of the same thing in the past (because you HAVE done it, being human and all)...
• Move on.

The enemy of your soul knows exactly what words to send you to "push your buttons".  The only way to prevent that is to remove the buttons so he has nothing to push.  The only way to remove the buttons is to seek the Lord with your whole heart, and believe Him... He shows us how we really are.  In Him, we are fantastic people!