Not related to the baby, but just something that came to my attention today that I wanted to share.

Proverbs 10:19 (New Living Translation) says “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”

I’ve read that passage probably dozens of times in my life but this morning in my devotions it really jumped out at me. The NKJV of the same passage says “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.” What does this mean? Does it mean that we need to limit how much we talk and communicate so we don’t sin? Well, that depends on what the “limit” is.

See, I’ve known for a long time that I talk a lot. Those of you who know me can attest to that. I wear my heart on my sleeve and often will just start jabbering about the most random things. There is nothing wrong with wearing your heart on your sleeve, but I believe that according to Proverbs, that excessive words will only lead to sin. It may not be an obvious sin, but it can manifest in sins such as gossip and slander, disrespecting someone, or speaking ill of one of God’s sons or daughters. I know for myself that I find it all too easy when I’m rambling to start attacking people with my words behind their backs. It’s not malicious, it’s not even intentional, but as I’ve started to examine my heart, I’ve realized that one thing is very clear. When I start to just talk for the sake of talking, Proverbs 10:19 tends to become a reality and I realize that I’ve sinned and spoken hurtful or disrespectful things. And the moment it leaves my tongue, it’s too late. I no longer have control over that thought or expression because its now “in the wild” and can go wherever it wants to.  Maybe this is what James is talking about when he said “It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.” James 3:5 (MSG)

James uses very powerful words spoken against the negative power of the tongue and I find myself re-evaluating how I speak because I don’t want to be someone who speak carelessly or hurt people with my words; that’s the last thing I’d want to do.

So what are we to do about this? I think for one, we need to be aware of careless words. Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:36 “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” (NIV) I ask myself how many times have I spoken carelessly and the thought is kind of scary. I know that I am forgiven for all my sins, and that regardless, I will still enter into eternity because of the Blood of Jesus, but that doesn’t mean that have free reign to be careless with how I speak because even though I am forgiven, I will still have to give an account for what I’ve said. Something to think about isn’t it?

Well, I know for myself that I am going to be praying that God give me the wisdom to shut my mouth before something careless or hurtful is said. Even if it’s about people I’ll never meet. I’m far from perfect. I realize every day just how flawed I am as a human. But every day, those flaws show me more and more about how perfect God is and gives me a deeper appreciation for his Ultimate Grace. Thank God for Jesus!

My goal today, and every day until the Lord calls me home is to give up more of my heart and my will to the Lord so that He can fill me up and make me a bit more like him. It’s an ongoing journey. We will never be perfect here on earth, but we can all strive to let the Lord change our lives so that each day we are one step closer to the ultimate goal. To become like Jesus, our Lord. 

Read all of Proverbs 10 in context here