“The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure; know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.” Proverbs 10:14
There are times in all our lives when we say things without thinking. Embarrassing things, that we wish immediately we can take back. Alcohol and drugs seem to inflame our vocabulary. “The wise accumulate knowledge” Proverbs 10:19 says “The more talk, the less truth.” The trouble for most of us is when we should speak up, we don’t. My Mum used to say to me “you’ve got a good Scots tongue in you mouth, use it.” In my working life I had a boss who used to say to me “you know more about this thank anyone else in the meeting but you don’t speak up.”
Learning the art of when to speak up and the right thing to say and when to say nothing is a lifetime process. Self-control requires restraint, even with our words. We can refrain from saying the wrong thing by allowing God to teach us when to speak up and when to be silent.
Jesus spoke with authority, but lovingly. One of my favourite saying in life is ‘talk about what you know and you will know what you are talking about.’ Another is ‘ If you can’t make a difference, don’t make a fuss.’
Speaking the truth with conviction is impressive. What we say reveals what we are, who we are and what we know. Taming our tongues requires divine intervention sometimes.
sharing my experience, strength and hope. 