Dennis Abernathy

It has been well said that one way to save face is to keep the lower part of it closed! Now, that’s not in the Bible, but the Bible does have something to say about the common tendency to get ourselves into trouble by talking too much, and the Bible talks about the wisdom of being careful to control the tongue. Have you ever had any trouble with that?

Take, for example, the following statements from the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. Proverbs 10: 19 says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” The intelligent person recognizes the danger of words and so speaks them sparingly. Proverbs 29: 20 says, “There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking” New Living Translation. Impulsiveness frequently creates problems that could have otherwise been avoided through exercising restraint. One who does not pause or hesitate before speaking lacks discipline because holding one’s tongue requires self-control. We need to be sure our brain is engaged before putting our mouth in gear. Proverbs 21: 23 says, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” A person guards his soul from troubles when he takes care with the words that the mouth speaks. Proverbs 13: 3 says, “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” One’s misuse of the tongue has led many to ruin, because “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18: 21). Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent (intelligent).” Proverbs 18: 6-7 says, “A fool’s lips bring strife (conflict), and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare of his soul.” Unbridled lips and a loose tongue lead to strife and conflict and show one’s true foolish colors. We should learn two things about our tongue-how to hold it and how to use it! These statements from the book of Proverbs show the need to control our tongue and illustrate why the book of Proverbs is called a book of practical godliness and sanctified common sense.

Untold blessings are attached to words, but with words we speak comes the potential for untold pain. Words have power for healing and power for endless pain. Words can endure us to one another, and they can build walls that separate even those we are the closest to for a lifetime. Therefore, our words can cause a lot of damage and thus, we should do as Psalms 39: 1 says, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue, I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle.” Jesus said, “A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say” New Living Translation. How we talk reveals the kind of person we are!

Yes, we can talk too much and often when we do, it brings troublesome consequences. Read James 3: 1-12 for needed admonition. We all make mistakes but controlling our tongue can help us control our life and save us many heartaches. Think on these things.