Open Mouth, Insert Foot – 2.19.08

Is there anybody else who has had to do this often enough that you've developed a taste for your own toe jam? Or is there anybody who talked back often enough to develop a taste for bar soap (never got used to the liquid variety)? Please tell me I'm not the only one!

Anyway, we've all heard it said that we should THINK BEFORE WE SPEAK. Simple advice. Practical wisdom. Great idea! Wouldn't we all get in much less trouble if we actually did this from time to time? How often would a moment of thought have prevented some idiotic comment from being uttered, sparing a great deal of hurt to someone else and/or a great deal of embarrassment to ourselves.

Now, even though "think before you speak" is not a phrase that can be found in the word of God, the principle is definitely there. Considering that death and life are in the power of the tongue, we must be diligent to take careful thought before we open our mouths and speak.

• James 1:19…Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
  
• Proverbs 15:28…The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
  
• Ecclesiastes 5:2…Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
  

In reference to Moses, Psalm 106:33 says, Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips… Have you ever been provoked in spirit and spoken unadvisedly? Have you ever been overcome by your emotions and ended up saying something you wish you could've taken back? Many times the reason we end up inserting a foot into our open mouth is that we speak in "the heat of the moment."

David said in Psalm 39:3, My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue. The context of this statement is David's desire not to sin with his tongue (verse 1). Notice that his heart was hot. Notice there was a fire burning inside. Maybe it's anger, maybe it's depression, maybe it's sorrow, maybe it's joy, maybe it's "love," but whatever it is that has our emotions worked up, we need to be careful about what we say because being overcome by our emotions is no excuse to SIN with the tongue.

Don't speak unadvisedly. Take advise with yourself. It'd be better to talk to yourself and decide not to say something sinful or hurtful than to blab whatever comes to mind and have to suffer the consequences. When you're mad, when you're sad, when you're glad, muse before you open your mouth. Give thought to what you say.

Think before you speak.