“When words are many, transgression is not lacking but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”
– Proverbs 10:19
This verse is a clear expectation to watch our words, including how often we speak or how quickly we speak. When words are many, transgression is not lacking. When we are speaking many words and we’re not thinking about what we’re saying, I mean how often do we do this? We just start talking without really thinking through our words or we react to something in a way that quickly leads to sin or at least leads to speaking in a way that doesn’t build others up.
There’s wisdom that’s found in thinking before we speak.
But Proverbs 10:19 says, “Whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” There’s wisdom that’s found in thinking before we speak. Because so often we can speak quickly, harshly, rashly, in circumstances where we just need to be silent.
Proverbs 10:19 Helps Us Watch Our Words
God we pray today that you would help us to watch our words. I think about my family. I think about the people I work with, I think about the people I interact with in just day to day routines of life, I think about all those kind of people and the men and women who are listening to this right now. Oh God in our lives today, help us to be wise with our words, help us to not speak many words in a way that leads to sin, in a way that leads to transgression.
This Verse Helps Guard Us from Harsh Speaking
Guard us we pray from harsh speaking, from rash speaking, help us to be quick to listen and slow to speak, help us to restrain our lips, help us to make our words today count, help us to make our words count for the building of the people around us, for the spread of the gospel, for the glory of your name, keep us from … well verse 10 talked about the babbling fool that comes to ruin, may that not be the description of our lives today. May our mouths be a fountain of life. May our lips be restrained in a way that honors you and the people around us. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
