Guarding the Mouth

Our mamas gave us a lot of good advice when we were children.  Much of that advice was given, and we were expected to heed that advice immediately. “John Paul, if you don’t leave your little brother alone I’m going to go get the fly swatter!” By the tone of her voice I knew she did not intend to swat flies. As I got older her warnings to me for not obeying her advice included getting my dad involved in the discipline end of her plan for me, and I do mean END! Everyone has been given good advice from their moms and dads. One bit of advice, I suppose, that most of us heard was, “If you can’t say anything nice about (fill in the blank) then don’t say anything at all!”

Of course now that we are adults we remember what our parents told us about saying only nice, uplifting, encouraging things when we speak. We remember to not say cutting, hurtful, degrading things about others. This is especially true in the political arena. We can always count on this being the case in the work place. And we certainly understand that when we are with those or talking about those within our church family we never say anything bad.

Sadly, today, people in all areas of life show  little restraint in what they say. Proverbs 18:2 describes our current political arena, “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.” Who hasn’t been the victim at work from people who are like those mentioned in Psalm 52:2-3, “You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!” And even at church we find fellow Christians who, “With the tongue praise our Lord and Father, and with it they curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.” And James says, “My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” James 3:9-10

During my 40 plus years as a pastor, and even now as a member of a wonderful church I hear words that should remain unspoken. I notice individuals, who want to be noticed and praised for what they do, go on the attack blasting those who haven’t shown them the respect they think they deserve. No where in God’s word does it say that we have the right to do this. It does say of our speech that we are to always be gentle toward everyone. We are to be peaceable and compassionate. Speaking of good advice our mamas gave us, she might well have told us to pray the payer found in Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.”