CAREFUL WORDS

Proverbs 18:6-7 NIV
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
    and their mouths invite a beating.
7 The mouths of fools are their undoing,
    and their lips are a snare to their very lives.


I should never have opened my mouth, “Kate lamented. “It was a foolish thing to tell Sam about our boss’s plans, even though they weren’t confidential. If I’d known it’d backfire on me like this, I would never have said a word.”  Kate knew what she’d done was unwise; unfortunately, she hadn’t realized that before she spoke.  Thinking before we speak is a wise workplace decision.  We need to weigh the impact of our words, what response the person we’re talking to may have and other issues specific to our workplaces.  We don’t want to tell a confidence to the biggest gossip in the company, even if she is so nice.  Nor do we want to hurt the feelings of someone who is particularly sensitive on a subject.  Unwise words may show we are not living in God’s wisdom but our own sin; or even if we are not doing wrong, they can land us in impossible situations.  Taking this practical advice from God’s Word and thinking before we speak saves us a lot of trouble and heartache.