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Scripture text—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.

When wondering about this topic, I thought about how hard it is to hold one’s tongue when suddenly angry or hurt. It seems that if cussing has been any part of a person’s past, the words remain near the surface waiting to vex the Spirit. It does not help that Satan, our enemy, wants us to insult our Lord and others with bad language at every turn.

I do not mean to limit this discussion to cuss words alone. Words that are not thought through or that do not edify the hearer can be rash. Silence really is golden. There is a saying that you can keep your mouth closed and let people wonder if you are a fool or you can speak and secure the matter. I do not know if that adage has Biblical origins but scripture has endless similar advice. I suspect that the tongue can only be tamed through prayer and practice. In fact, God tells us in James 3:8, “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

The Bible describes the foul workings of the tongue and those that allow it: wicked doer (my favorite—even better than evil doer), liar, fool, vain, deceitful, violent, treacherous, a sepulcher, poison, iniquity, guile, and arrogant.

Sinning with one’s words is an overlooked ill that society tends to accept as harmless. All sin is an affront to the Creator. In 1 Samuel 2:3, he says, “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” Speaking is surely an action. God will pay attention and hold us responsible whether with eternal judgment for non-believers or through chastisement during our earthy lives for his saints.

Abuse of language is not natural as a matter of fact. Consider, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell” (Jas 3:6). Indeed, much attention is paid to the problems with things that we put into our mouths (alcohol, drugs, tobacco, coffee, sugar, fat) and they are worth consideration. Do not ignore what the Bible says though, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man” (Matt 15:11).

God takes this seriously. What can be done? Pray and practice. God promises that he will be our present help in trouble. Do what the feature verse says; be not rash with thy mouth. Practice silence. For the other times, if you must speak, consult the Lord. In the Psalms and Proverbs examples of the Lord’s help with the mouth are countless. Also, study these verses: Exodus 4:12, “Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say” and Numbers 23:12, “And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?”

Make your prayer, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Ps 141:3). Keep God utmost in your conscious and remain in ceaseless communion with him. He will guide your words if you ask him to and will convict you of wrong doings. “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Prov 21:23). Just be nice, and quiet.