By Jamere King

Proverbs 10:19

When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is prudent.

It would be amazing if we could eat whatever we wanted and never had to worry about gaining weight or health issues. However, in reality, that’s simply not the case. Over time, life teaches you there are certain things we must be more cautious of. It would be nice to eat junk food all day everyday, but wisdom teaches us that moderation is key.

Talking, being opinionated, and sharing concerns isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but too much of it, like junk food, certainly is. God tells us that too much talking leads us directly into the tunnel of sin. Sometimes we have to know when to just be quiet. I like the way the NLT version puts it:

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

The principle here isn’t to be mute—otherwise, how would we share the gospel? Parent our kids? Excel at work? Let’s not make the text say something it’s not saying.

However, I do believe the principle here is to be quicker to listen and slower to speak (James 1:19).

Being slow to speak can keep a person out of a lot of trouble and even make one appear smarter than what they really are (Proverbs 17:28). Having lots of words and opinions doesn’t equate to having substance—many times we talk a lot to hide insecurities.

Have you ever said something you later regretted? Too much talk. Have you ever found yourself exaggerating a story, gossiping about someone, or twisting the truth? Too much talk. Do you feel the need to always express how you feel? You know the answer.

Moving forward, let’s strive to be more like Jesus, practicing self-control. Even as he was being falsely accused, it says he never even spoke a word (Mark 14:61). He was the quietest in the room yet should’ve been feared the most. Restraining our words requires a measure of faith to believe the sovereignty of God will work everything out regardless of our voices being heard.