I WISH I HADN'T SAID THAT

Proverbs 10:19, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."

In my study in learning how to deal with the tongue, it is hard to know where to start; the Bible is loaded with the significance of the tongue as well as the potential danger and the disaster it possesses. Like carrying nitro-glycerin, one wrong move and you have an explosion. "Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can break your heart." I often think of the tongue as an accident waiting to happen. So I suppose Proverbs 10:19 is as good a place as any to start. "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. None of us knows as much as we think we know, but we are still willing to fight and argue over so many non-essential things that don't mean a hill of beans as far as time and eternity are concerned. "But he who holds his tongue is wise." Holding our tongue (setting a guard on our tongue) does not happen by accident; this is something that a wise person is in the process of mastering. Once in awhile I look back over the years and think of times when "I wish I hadn't said that" and wish I could have a chance to go back to do it right, to say it right, or to just keep silent. Many of these doors are irrevocably closed and making them right is no longer possible. The disrespect I had for my parents as a rebellious teenager is a haunting reminder to go back and make it right before the window of opportunity closes.

See also: Psalm 19:14 - "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."