Mouth Guarding

Have you ever noticed that God gave us one mouth and two ears? Perhaps it’s because He wants us to listen more and speak less. How often we will jump to conclusions and pass judgment in a situation.

Yet the Bible says, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish” (Proverbs 18:13 NLT).

Sometimes we’ll hear a rumor and immediately conclude that it’s true. Instead, it would be better to say something like this: “I don’t know whether that necessarily would be true. What if it’s a complete lie? Let’s go ask that person about it.” You just might stop a rumor or put an end to gossip.

But how often we will pass a rumor on as though it were the truth. As a result, we can be guilty of slandering another person.

James 1:19 tells us, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (NLT).

David’s enemies lied about his character, and he wanted to be sure he didn’t make the same mistake they did. In Psalm 140 we read his laments over the lying tongues of others. But in the psalm that follows, we read how David recognized the danger of his own tongue.

He prayed, “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips” (Psalm 141:3 NLT). That is something every one of us should pray daily.

David was essentially saying, “I can’t stop other people from lying about me, but I will not do it to them. I will not be guilty of it. But I need Your help, Lord. I can’t do this in my own strength.”

One little rumor, one little statement about someone that comes from our lips could inflict terrible damage. Don’t let that happen. Ask God to guard your lips.

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