It's seems that people who measure things have measured that the average person speaks between 18,000-25,000 words a day. Many women can comfortably offer up 30,000 words a day.
James is happy to say, and repeat at least 7 times in a short letter, that I am responsible for those thousands of utterances. Fantastic. No problem.
Let's assume I agree with L.A.C. that there is a disease quality to selfish speech, a type of infection that can make my heart sick, but also can hurt others. Then, I move to the cure--true repentance. Why would such repentance inoculate against selfish speech?
I suppose if I am going to have a self focus, and that focus is on my falling short, my missteps, my wrongs and weaknesses then my expressions will be less burdened with my critical or sarcastic or uncaring tone. From repentance comes freedom from comparison and humility.
I recently complained to a group of my pitiful, scattered, routine prayers. A renewed emphasis on my repentance may breathe life into my prayers and also infuse my speech to benefit others.
Bit of a climb for a Monday morning, but refreshing on this blistering day.
Does this repentance, then, hold within it a switch from a self-focus to a God-focus? I've been thinking that if I quit contemplating myself so much and so often and contemplating God more, perhaps my prayers would reflect that change. Hmmm.
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