“Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” NLT
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. NKJV
If you keep talking, it won’t be long before you’re saying something really wrong. Prove you’re wise from the very start— just bite your tongue and be strong! TPT
Have you ever seen someone talk his or her way into trouble? Whether it’s by a slick mouth, or just saying too much, we’re all familiar with people who talk too much and the consequences for it. One thing I’ve learned from myself is that the times where I said too much were usually because of a lack of wisdom or a need for attention. I know many won’t admit to either of those but I know it’s been true for me.
What is it in us that makes us feel like we always have to have the last word? Or always have to have the last say? Why do we think we have to always be the one to speak? Many of us don’t even realize we are doing it but what’s really oozing out of us is pride or a need for attention. We have to be heard. We have to be received as knowing everything. We want to be the one who always has an answer. But the reality is, we don’t always have the answer. We don’t always know what to say and we don’t always need to say something.
This verse is so straight to the point that it makes me chuckle. There’s such truth in it and it’s a lesson that we all need to grasp quickly. When we use too many words, we often end up looking foolish or causing issues that could have been avoided. True wisdom is being able to have all the knowledge in the world but knowing how and when to apply it. True wisdom shuts down pride. It shuts down the need to appear smart. True wisdom will keep your mouth closed and at the same time, keep you from falling.
James 3:2 says “We all fail in many areas, but especially with our words. Yet if we’re able to bridle the words we say we are powerful enough to control ourselves in every way, and that means our character is mature and fully developed.”
How many of us can say that we know how to hold our tongue? How many of us really know how to control our words without saying something slick or doing something manipulative to still get our point across? Today I want to encourage you as I encourage myself to let our words be few. I encourage us to not try and prove anything to anyone by using many words. Today, let’s let wisdom rule and practice controlling our tongue!
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