Proverbs 18:21 (NLT)
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
When I was growing up (well…I still am!) I was always getting into trouble with my parents for talking too much. My older sisters never wanted me tagging along because I talked constantly and usually said the wrong thing at the wrong time. I always offered the argument that if God didn’t want me to talk; He would not have given me a mouth. I admit—that wasn’t the best thing to tell Mom sometimes.
Now that I have gotten all “adult” (yeah…uh-huh…) I have had the privilege of reading my Bible for myself and seeing the pattern throughout Proverbs and into the rest of the Old Testament and of course into the New Testament. Controlling one’s tongue is a hard thing to master. Talking too much is not just about gossip—although that is serious. Talking too much is also about discretion—knowing when to listen in a conversation. Knowing when “speaking your mind” is unacceptable and inappropriate. One does not have to always give an answer for everything. My Mother always says, “You don’t have to have the last word.”
Karyn Pugh
Tennessee
Pray Together: Today is the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church. Observe and remember Christian brothers and sisters worldwide.
