BIG GRAMMAR; BIG TROUBLE!!!

I was still in secondary school. I desired to spend my holiday with my granduncle in Abeokuta. I already knew he would visit or send his driver with a Christmas package. That was my opportunity to travel with him or return with the driver. I told my parents about it, but I noticed hesitation on my mum’s part.

A day before the trip, I noticed that Mum kept giving me extra house tasks that showed she probably would not want me to travel- laundry and ironing. I was doing my best to meet up so I could still travel.

Then things came to a head that evening. I confronted her directly by asking if she wanted me to travel or not. She gave me a diplomatic answer. Then I said under my breath, “That is all fallacy”.

All hell broke loose! She said, “Ah! You are testing grammar on me. You think I do not know what fallacy is. Am I the one you are calling a liar?” If you have an African mother, you know the rest of the story.

Your mouth can actually put you in trouble. It can invite physical beating - strikes!

“The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating.”

Proverbs 18:6 NIV

“A fool's lips enter into contention, And his mouth calleth for strokes.”

Proverbs 18:6 KJV

The Apostle James warns us to tame our tongue:

“We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”

James 3:2 NIV

The Proverbs warn us that life and death (and everything in between) is in the power of the tongue:

“Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”

Proverbs 18:21 MSG

There are no jokes in the realm of the spirit; there are only words! You cannot release words sponsoring death and then return to say, “I am just joking”.

“Don’t let your mouth make a total sinner of you. When called to account, you won’t get by with “Sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

Ecclesiastes 5:6 MSG

What are you saying with your mouth? Are they edifying? Are they defiling? Is it inviting trouble? By your words, you can be blessed, and also by your words, you can be condemned.

Watch what you are saying!

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa