Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. Proverbs 10:19 NLT
Can’t get much more straight forward than that but I like the way my Bible says it:
Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow.
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My kids all have different chores and my daughter Abby loads the dishwasher each night. I get on her all the time because I will noticed that while she turns to collect dishes to rinse and load she sometimes leaves the water running. Running. Running. She is oblivious to it. I have to call it to her attention time and time again.
When I read this verse this morning I thought about how sensible it is to guard our words in the same way. Sometimes it’s good to just turn off the flow.
At the age of 15, I felt God prompting my heart that one day He would use me to impact the lives of women for His kingdom. For years, I wondered what that meant and what it would look like. Over time, I experienced many life lessons and faced many trials. I realized after many years that He was equipping me for service. While singing with Calling Levi, God began to open the door to travel and speak at retreats and women’s conferences and events. It was humbling and scary but it afforded opportunities to see God do what I could not on my own.
One day, probably 10 years ago, I attended a women’s event featuring a prominent speaker and I was excited, as I had just begun to speak myself. I had heard so many great things about her. Following the conference a friend who was hosting the event invited to meet her in a room off to the side. Several people were there talking with her and as they walked away my friend approached her and said, “This is Tammy Lashey. She is with a singing group named Calling Levi that travels all over and God has just begun to open the door for speaking opportunities for her as well.”
The prominent speaker replied, ”Well, as far as I’m concerned, singers don’t speak and speakers don’t sing.” She spoke casually as if the words cost her nothing to dispense. I’m sure she doesn’t remember me or the comment she made.
”Well, as far as I’m concerned, singers don’t speak and speakers don’t sing.” Ouch!
After an awkward moment of silence and a sheepish smile we stepped away and I tried to get my head around her words.
They hurt.
I STILL remember them all these years later.
I recall our ride home and the questions her comment raised in my heart.
- Am I kidding myself?
- Should I not be doing what I’m doing?
- Could I be mistaken in this calling I have felt?
- What if she’s right?
I took my questions to the Lord and He helped me to regain perspective. He reminded me that He doesn’t work with cookie cutters. He makes us all unique. What may be the plan and path for one very often is not the plan for someone else.
Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
He had a plan and purpose in mind for me. He began to reveal it and I could trust it with all my heart because it came from His hand. I felt a sense of renewed passion as I trusted God no matter what man (or woman) might say.
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There were a few things I took away from this experience.
- Watch my careless words. Consider them carefully because they hold power.
- It’s very possible I have hurt others with my words. Be ready to own up to my own mistakes and seek forgiveness.
- Too much talk will definitely create more opportunities to blow it and say something I regret.
- You can’t take words back but you can take them to God. Whether said BY you or TO you, taking words that hurt to God gives Him the opportunity to dispense His wisdom, mercy, and grace and make the situation right. He can mend a relationship broken by words.
- Words can encourage and give life to others. I shared Proverbs 10:19 at the beginning of this post. The very next verse (v20) says, “The words of the godly are like sterling silver.”
What about you? Is your faucet running? Do you need to turn off the flow of words from your mouth? Let’s ask God today to help us speak words that are like sterling sliver to AND ABOUT those around us.
My prayer is that my words will be remembered, not for the hurt they cause but for the life they bring to others.
Deana Caldwell - Thanks for your words . I read them often , not always but often . Mostly because I seem to have no routine in my life. I blame being married to a Caldwell for that, Somer can explain. I often tell people about a marriage relationship that I find the secret to a good marriage is sometimes not so much about communication as it is about knowing when to be quiet, I actually say shut up. Sometimes we need to let God speak to our husbands instead of me trying to be his Holy Spirit so I really agree with you on this one.
Ruthanne - Wow, God was speaking to me about my words just this week. So true that we often let our words, stories, and other emotions coated in words flow freely when the spout’s dispensary should be reserved or plugged. Thank you for driving home this message that our words are meant to speak life and truth and anything else is simply sin…thank you I love your blog…it’s my Tuesday morning red bull replacement 🙂
Nana - So true….speak Life! If we don’t hear God speaking to us or try to heed His WORD….we have nothing to say! You are a wonderful speaker, singer, and listener, My Daughter!