A fool's mouth [is] his destruction, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul. Proverbs 18:7 NKJV
Are you the kind of guy who prides himself on being someone who “tells it like it is” (in other words, a bigmouth), or do you most often think before speaking your mind, knowing that saying something unwise or unkind could harm your witness for Jesus and/or hurt another person?
The Bible has much to say about the words you should speak—as well as the kind of speech you should avoid. A good summary of what God says on this subject is to only speak words that glorify God and help build others up.
The apostle Paul gave some solid advice for the kinds of words you should speak (and not speak) when he wrote, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).
So before you speak, ask yourself, Does what I’m about to say glorify God and build others up? If the answer is no, then hold your tongue.
Prayer: Lord, I never want to speak foolishly, but I’m far from perfect in that area of my life. Forgive me when I say things I shouldn’t. Guard my mouth so that I speak only words that glorify You and are helpful to my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Are you the kind of guy who prides himself on being someone who “tells it like it is” (in other words, a bigmouth), or do you most often think before speaking your mind, knowing that saying something unwise or unkind could harm your witness for Jesus and/or hurt another person?
The Bible has much to say about the words you should speak—as well as the kind of speech you should avoid. A good summary of what God says on this subject is to only speak words that glorify God and help build others up.
The apostle Paul gave some solid advice for the kinds of words you should speak (and not speak) when he wrote, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).
So before you speak, ask yourself, Does what I’m about to say glorify God and build others up? If the answer is no, then hold your tongue.
Prayer: Lord, I never want to speak foolishly, but I’m far from perfect in that area of my life. Forgive me when I say things I shouldn’t. Guard my mouth so that I speak only words that glorify You and are helpful to my brothers and sisters in Christ.