Bridle Your Tongue

“Men are born with two eyes, but only one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say.”

—CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

—Psalm 34:13

Put a restraint on your tongue and stop going through life saying whatever you want to say whenever you want to say it. “If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religious service is worthless” (James 1:26).

Ponder that scripture and think about how many “religious” people there are in the world who do not bridle their tongue. They speak in negative terms all the time; they gossip, criticize, judge, murmur, complain, and curse. They go to church but use no discipline in what they say. The Bible makes it very clear their religious service is worthless.

A lot of our problems are rooted in our own words. The power of life and death is in the tongue, and we must be satisfied with the result of our words (see Proverbs 18:21). I urge you to be careful about what you say. Anyone who never offends in speech is a perfect man, able to control his whole body, curb his nature, and, I believe, affect his destiny (see James 3:2).

Are you dissatisfied with your life right now? Perhaps you have now what you have said in the past. Are you ready to offer your mouth to God to be used in His service? If you are, then I believe you are on the road to a better life.