“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” ( Proverbs 21:23 ESV)

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

My mom always told me to know when to open my mouth and when to keep it shut. Basically to make sure my brain is engaged before putting mouth in gear. Good advice but some I haven’t always listened to. I tend to speak first then think about what I said.

While cleaning yesterday, I found a book mark. It’s entitled: Don’t open your mouth when….” There are 20 “suggestions” but I won’t go into them all because of limited space. Here are a few that really caught my attention:

#1..In the heat of anger. (See Proverbs 14:17). Usually when I am really angry, I tend to shoot off my mouth and then regret it.

#2..When you don’t have all the facts. (See Proverbs 18:13). Self explanatory.

#8..If you would be ashamed of your words later. See Proverbs 8:8). It’s a good idea to think before you speak. You can’t take back words already spoken.

#11..When you are tempted to tell an outright lie. (See Proverbs 4:24). A lie is a lie and never a good idea. But it’s just a little white lie. No such thing. A lie is a lie! Final!

Last one, for now at least: #18..If you have already said something more than once. (See Proverbs 19:13).When tempted to let your mouth overload common sense, think about Jesus and what He would do and then do it.

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” (Proverbs 21:23 ESV)

Have a great day and keep your mouth in check. Or at least try to.

Kathy Keller
Writer and Prayer warrior with Answers2PrayerMinistries
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