Proverbs 10:19

Keep Your Mouth Shut

Okay so tonight a simple Devo here at the beach.

How many of you struggle with saying stupid things ?

How many of you when you do speak end up saying something stupid because you just can’t keep quiet ?

How many of you when you start speaking end up rambling a-lot of words and then something stupid comes out ?

I remember when I was being taught some very difficult lessons in my early 20s being in the military and I remember one time something stupid happened and I talked back a little bit to one of my superiors and he actually was a really cool dude, but He turned around and he looked at me and he said, dude sometimes its not about being right and sometimes you don’t always have to open your mouth as a response, He said you’ll go a-lot further in life if you learn when to speak and when to keep your mouth shut, there wasn’t a-lot to this story but when he said that to me it really Hit me. I realized in that moment that sometimes its better and more wise to Keep quiet. Sometimes its better to allow God to work things out and let Him take care of it instead of trying to insert myself into situations.

Another time same thing but this was when i was living in Europe, ( SGT white ) tell the story of when he went off on me just for speaking to Him …… It was in the morning and I was on the phone and we werent even suppose to be awake yet….

I share these quick little stories with you because it has to do with this sweet proverb we are going to read tonight. Its a very short proverb but a very very applicable Proverb

Turn your bibles over to Proverbs 10:19

we will read it

Proverbs 10:19 “19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

Proverbs 10:19 NLT Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

A) In the Multitude of Words sin is not lacking

Solomon when he wrote this was giving wise counsel for people who had a problem with speaking too much

Now this advice He gives is something we can all agree on that at times we struggle with

when we speak too much too often and we have a-lot of words to say, the higher chance we have that we say something stupid

for many people, the more words that come out of their mouth, the more they sin with words

There is more potential for us to sin with words when speaking than listening

thats why it is very important that we learn to keep our mouths quiet and listen before we speak, its wise to think before you speak

right now we are learning so much from raising Little Scotti and she is in this stage of her young Life where she doesn’t think before she speaks, she just says whats on her little mind

when we speak out of Line and when we say things that we shouldn’t we have to understand that we can’t take back the words that have been said

when you guys have friendships many of you have experienced this but you can have a friendship for years and years and years and that friendship is perfect, until one day someone opens up their mouth in a way that they shouldn’t , and then there goes the friendship, and now that friendship is forever scarred by the words that have been said

you can’t take those things back, you learn that real fast in a marriage when you guys get married one day, if one of you says something stupid, you cant take it back and honestly hurtful sinful words aren’t forgotten.

Lets read this little passage in the book of James real quick about the tongue.

James 3:2–8 “2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

James 3:2-8 NLT 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. 3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.

B) But he who restrains his lips is wise:

Keeping our mouth shut as it says in the NLT version of this verse is wisdom

those who are wise know when to speak and when to stay silent , choosing words carefully

now keeping silent when we don’t want to keep silent is a very difficult thing to do

For some of you that are strong willed like me, when we think we are right about something, its almost impossible to keep quiet

I know for me at least when i was younger, If i felt like I was right about something I would stand my ground and speak up, eventually it lead to me saying something stupid or doing something stupid but sometimes its better to stay silent

Sometimes its better to think before we speak and to listen to what is being said.

there is wisdom in Listening and Holding our tongue instead of speaking many words and trapping our selves.

The more we speak the higher the chances are we say something stupid, don’ t be that guy