Shut it!

 

Proverbs 10:19
King James Version  (KJV)

 ¹⁹ In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin:
     but he that refraineth his lips is wise. 

In case the point of this scripture is hard to understand in the KJV . . . here is the New Living Translation (NLT)

 ¹⁹ Too much talk leads to sin.
      Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

As a teen I used to hang out with my big sis and her friends once in a while.  I would get so frustrated when they would ask me if I ever talked.  Like I was some sort of side-show.  The question I asked back was, Do you ever stop talking?  Naturally, this was only in my head.  I was a bit shy and generally was pretty entertained by just sitting there listening to everyone.  I did have plenty to say as the aforementioned big sis can attest to since after these times I would let her know what I thought about everyone.  Instead of talking I had spent the time listening, observing and pretty much categorizing everyone and everything.  My mouth wasn’t moving much, but my brain was chuggin’ right along.  And I had no shortage of opinions once I was in the right environment to share them.  It did come natural to me to just keep my mouth shut and observe and it probably did keep me out of a little bit of trouble at times. 

As the KJV version says, the point it is to refrain your mouth, control it.  And yep. . .at times we need to do what the NLT version says. . .shut it!  I've kind of outgrown my shyness now and have definitely opened my mouth when I should have kept it shut a time or two...or three or four.  I know of several people, some of them reading this right now, who are amening that statement!  I still find myself, once in a while, saying something and then thinking about it later and kicking myself.  Everything that comes to our minds does not have to be said.  Words are powerful for good and bad, for better or for worse.  If I could go back in time and take back every unwise word...I would.  Come to think of it, I would even like to go back and take every unwise word spoken to me and shove it back into the speaker's mouth...mmm, that is such a nice mental picture...but back to reality...it really isn't about the words out of someone else's mouth, but my own mouth.  Whether it is my husband, my children, my family, my friends, my co-workers, my acquaintances...even the other driver on the road...I don't want to see anyone cringe when I open my mouth!