Over the years I have been learning to shut my mouth!  Sometimes I am very proficient at this and other times, not so much.  With the help of the Holy Spirit I find I can calmly listen to friends, family and strangers without the constant need to interject, after all, their comments should be allowed to come to a complete rest!  By rest I mean, let a person finish their thought(s) before plowing in.  It’s a nice concept and one I live to practice.  I just got done with a bible plan from the YouVersion Bible App.  The plan described how the mouth/tongue is an organ that can get us in much trouble.  Unfortunately I can testify to that!

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;  The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.  – Proverbs 13:3 NASB

     What goes in our mouths nourishes us and builds strength in our bodies.  What comes out can be full of deceit and corruption.  As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we hold on to the truths of what it means to be God’s own.  That is, we are now redeemed children and we guard our tongues!  We become what Luke describes in chapter 6, verse 45;

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good;  and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil;  for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. – Luke 6:45 NASB

     The message here is to guard your heart!  Matthew (Matthew 15:11 NASB) points out that it is not what enters the mouth that defiles us but what proceeds out!  Our tongues should speak from our heart, the heart we gave to our Lord.   If we love Him, we love those made in His image.  We love from that new heart we got as a believer.  Now I know we are not perfect, but with today’s hatred messages clogging the media air waves, we need all the heart, and less tongue, we can get.   Speak less, listen more.  Love.

The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, The heart of the wicked is worth little. – Proverbs 10:20 NASB