March 15th, 2015

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Mouthy

Sunday, March 15th, 2015

As in “you have a big mouth.”

As in “do you always speak before you think?”

As in “does your mouth always engage before your brain?’

Guilty as charged. Growing up I was not allowed to be “mouthy” towards my parents. I paid the price for doing so. The day I thought I was “too big for my britches” was the day my dad decided a lesson was definitely needed in humility. Yeah…you get the point.

Being an extrovert, I tend to speak first before thinking. As I have gotten older, I have learned to “engage brain before mouth.” I got myself into a lot of hot water by my failure to do so. There is a verse of Scripture I needed to listen and learn: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Ps.141:3) Reading in Proverbs recently revealed the following:

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” 15:1

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” 12: 18

There are more, of course. I’m sure I could retire on the interest alone if I had a dollar for every ill-spoken word I have said in my 62 years. But that cycle can stop…and stop it must! Maturity has hopefully given me some wisdom to know when to speak and when to keep my mouth shut. But I know I still speak out of turn.

I plan to explore this strange phenomena of our speech this week. I hope you will join me. Meanwhile, what do you do to curtail your words?