Lord, help me control my tongue;
help me be careful about what I say.
—Psalm 141:3 NCV
In Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan introduces us to Talkative: “He was a saint abroad and a devil at home.”
A saint on Sunday and a devil on Monday. A man who prays piously at church on Sunday and snaps irritably at home on Monday. A woman who speaks sweetly on Sunday and gossips maliciously on Monday.
“Three things come not back—the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity.” So said William George Plunkett.
Be aware that once you’ve said it, there is no getting it back; it is beyond your control.
I wish to be like Jesus,
So humble and so kind.
His words were always tender,
His voice always divine.
But no, I’m not like Jesus,
As everyone can see!
O Savior, come and help me,
And make me just like thee.
—author unknown
Your words reveal the real you.