Set Up a Guard

Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. - Psalms 141:3

Let's admit it, sometimes we just need to keep our mouths shut. Instead of "thinking by talking," we need to learn how to "think while talking."

As one who used to speak thousands of words (publicly) each and every week, I made a few (?) mistakes (none of which will be recorded here!). Frankly, I expected to err from time to time, but I have also come to understand that it is those words spoken (or emailed) in private conversation that often cause the most trouble. Saying the wrong thing or even saying the right thing to the wrong person, can be disastrous, for anyone. To combat these errors, I adopted a personal operating principle, "When in doubt, shut up!"

If we would all pray the prayer of the psalmist above (set up a guard and keep watch) and listen to the Holy Spirit, then our verbal mistakes (and offenses) would certainly lessen considerably. We might even find ourselves thinking before we're speaking.

If your lips would keep from slips, five things observe with care: of whom you speak, to whom you speak, and how and when and where. - Anonymous