Book Review- Keep It Shut - Now Choose Life

What to read next? That is my biggest question. I have a suggestion for you- Keep It Shut. Here is my book review for Christian nonfiction.

Can be purchased HERE.

Book Review- Christian Nonfiction

I do a long distance book study with a friend in Texas all the time. The minute we finish one book, we decide on the next one. These studies have been a huge blessing in my life.

Here are some take aways from Keep It Shut by Karen Ehman.

“How I use my words, whether for good or for evil, can often, although not always, be traced back to the quality time I am (or am not) spending with the Lord each day ,how intentional I am about investing in my relationship with him, and whether or not I am taking steps to become more like his Son, Jesus Christ.” p. 18 This is so true for me. God’s word changes me. I can tell when I’m far from it.
“Squabble, spats, and such are an inevitable hazard of life lived in close quarters.” p. 23 I will go a step further and just say Close Families. My kids don’t live with me anymore, but close families are going to run into issues– especially when these families are growing like mine is. I’m proud of how my little family has handled our differences, but we all need to be mindful of our words.
“When we lace our words with grace, healing happens.” p. 39 This is hard for me. My tone is the worst thing about my words sometimes. It is something I work on constantly!!
“We should be tenderhearted and tough skinned.” p. 93 Isn’t that the truth? People are going to say things that hurt us. Tough skin helps us realize that words don’t have to hurt us!!
“Children should obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1) But when they don’t? Well, I couldn’t recall a single verse that then grants parents the right to holler and scream…” p. 157 I sure wish I had thought of this when my kids were little. I know I did my fair share of screaming. I wish I had looked at my mothering through the lens of scripture more than I did.

These are just a few of the quotes that meant so much to me! There is so much more.

What I Thought of this Book

This book touches on how our words effect our relationship with others. It shows how our words effect others. And, YES, we are responsible for how our words are perceived by others. I learned this the hard way when a relationship ended because I spoke my mind and set boundaries with someone. Could my words have been more graceful? Absolutely, but I learned that my words effected that relationship. It was hard to realize that there was not unconditional love, but my words mattered in this instance, and I have to live with that.

Keep It Shut shows how our words matter in our relationship with others. My friend and I picked another book that shows how our words effect our own lives. We will be reading Me and My Big Mouth by Joyce Meyer. I’ve started this book several times, but never finished it. I think it will be a great compliment to what we just finished.

The bottom line ins that our words have power over our lives!!