He who guards
his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity (NIV 1984, Proverbs 21:23).
Like the old
carpenter’s adage: Measure twice; cut once, the writer of James puts it this way: Be
quick to listen, slow to speak (1:19). With two ears and one mouth, the
wise person listens more than he/she talks. Personally, I have more often
regretted speaking than holding my tongue. Proverbs 13:36 reads: Opening
your mouth can ruin everything (NLT). Mark Twain is credited with saying: “Better to keep one’s
mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.”
That’s why God gave
us a filter. The idea is that, rather than speak every thought that comes into
one’s mind, we engage the filter and it catches things we shouldn’t say. That’s
the way it’s supposed to work. But every once in awhile we forget to engage
that filter, and before we know it, someone gets hurt. Sometimes it’s us, but
on especially unfortunate occasions we hurt someone else.
James understands: No
human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison
(James 3:8).
We need help. God
knows this is not a battle we’re going to win on our own. Thankfully he comes
to our assistance. When we admit our need, acknowledge his lordship in our
lives, and lean on the Holy Spirit, he will help us guard our mouths to speak
only words that are honoring to him, honoring to ourselves, and honoring to
others.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
God gave us a filter for a
reason. He expects us to use it. Take inventory of how your filter is working.
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