Humpty Dumpty Words

Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:29; James 3:2-10

"I don't want to see you again until you give me my mitt back!" shouted Adrian. "Don't ever come in my room again!" He slammed the door as his brother left the room.

"What's all this yelling about?" asked Mom, coming down the hall.

"Adrian says I stole his baseball mitt, but I didn't," replied Sawyer angrily. "He's a liar."

Mom rapped on Adrian's closed door. "Adrian, come out here. I want both of you to follow me." She led them to the back porch. There, on a bench, lay Adrian's mitt. The boys immediately began yelling, each accusing the other of leaving the mitt there.

Mom held up her hands, and the boys got quiet. "Both of you, follow me." This time she headed for the kitchen. She took an egg from the refrigerator and placed it on the counter beside an empty bowl. "Sawyer, crack this egg into the bowl." The boys gave her a puzzled look, but Sawyer obeyed. "Now, Adrian," said Mom, "put that egg back into the shell again--just the way it was."

Adrian frowned. "You know I can't do that. You can't fix a broken egg."

"Like Humpty Dumpty, right?" said Mom. "Our words are a lot like eggs sitting on a wall--once they've fallen and broken apart, we can't put them back. You both said some ugly things to each other, and taking words back is as impossible as mending an egg. The Bible says the tongue can be like a fire, causing a lot of damage when out of control."

Adrian crossed his arms. "Sometimes the words just come out when I get mad. How am I supposed to keep the egg from cracking?"

Mom walked the egg shell over to the compost bucket and dropped it in. "God gives believers a Helper--the Holy Spirit. Through Him we have the power to do difficult things, like tame our tongues. We can trust Him to help us when we are struggling to love others."

The boys stood and looked at each other for a minute.

"I'm sorry for what I said," Sawyer finally mumbled.

"Me too," replied Adrian.

"That sounds like a great start," said Mom. "I'm going to pray that God will help us all love each other the way Jesus loves us. Now, who wants scrambled eggs?"

–Dean A. Fowler

How About You?
Are you careful about the words you speak, or do they sometimes get away from you before you think? It's good to say you're sorry when that happens, but it doesn't totally undo the damage the words may have done. That's why it's important to trust God to help you speak in a kind, loving way. He will help you control what you say so your words reflect the love of Jesus.
Today's Key Verse:
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up. (NIV) (Ephesians 4:29)
Today's Key Thought:
Think before you speak