Have you ever opened your mouth and thought to yourself almost immediately "why did I say that?"  How about "I can't believe I said that?"   I have lots of times.  I'm pretty good at it actually. 

How many times have our big traps got us into trouble?   A little tongue can do big damage. Maybe that's where "a slip of the tongue" comes from.  It can destroy families, friendships and even communities.  A person's reputation can be slandered for a lifetime, jobs could be lost, people could go to jail and all as a result of a little slip of the tongue regardless if there is any truth involved or not.

I cringe when I think of some of the things I said in the past.  I guess I thought I was just being honest and upfront.  At least that's how I rationalized it.   Many times it was just a result of not thinking before speaking.  A thought would hit  my brain and travel directly right out of the mouth with no stopping or yielding first. 

I guess now that I'm older I recognize how wise the saying "if you don't have something nice to say, keep it to yourself."  There is alot of truth to those old fashioned sayings I still hear floating around from time to time.  I think it's time we pay attention to them. 

Letting words drip out from our mouths is sort of like squeezing out toothpaste from a tube.  Once it's out, there's no putting it back in.  You have to deal with it.  

There's a proverb that says:  "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer; but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." 

What a contrast.  Do you see it?  A righteous person thinks before he speaks, choosing his words carefully.  A wicked person, in contrast, doesn't think first and just lets it fly regardless of who stands in the way of the flying debris. 

What a sobering thought.  What a convicting message for me.  And all those times I just let it loose I thought I was just being honest and up front!! 

No wonder Christ said, it's not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out.  That's because what comes out of the mouth is coming directly from the heart. 

Old habits die hard they say.  It may take some practice to speak honey instead of vinegar.  But if you think about it, honey is thicker and sweeter and much easier to swallow.  Vinegar, while it pours out quickly, can do alot of acidic damage if not given out in small doses. 

Here's a few wise sayings I found in a quote book. 

"Let not your tongue cut your throat"

"There is no venom to that of the tongue"

"The tongue is a wild beast; once let it loose, it is difficult to chain."

"A slip of the foot may be soon recovered; but that of the tongue, perhaps never."