“Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit” (Psalm 34:12-13).
As Christians, our continual prayer should be that God would instruct our tongue at all times with five virtues taught in Scripture: truth, love, necessity, wisdom and edification.
TRUTH: If truth was guarding our tongue then we would hear our conscience say: “Don’t speak unless your words are true. As a Christian, you represent Christ who is the Truth. Therefore, your words must be true.” Proverbs 8:7: “For my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.”
LOVE: If love stands before our words then we would hear our conscience say: “Are you speaking the truth in love? Are you really concerned for the one of whom or to whom you speak? If you’re not speaking the truth in love, then don’t speak. Keep your mouth shut!” Ephesians 4:15: “…speak the truth in love.”
NECESSITY: If necessity was guarding our tongue then we would hear our conscience say: “Is what you are going to say necessary or is it coming out because you simply like to talk? Are the words you’re going to speak about another person necessary?” So often we say things about others just to make conversation, and so often what we say is absolutely unnecessary. “Oh did you hear about so and so, and how he did such and such?” It’s almost as if we glory in the fact that we know something about someone else that others don’t know. Proverbs 6:16: “Six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”
WISDOM: If wisdom was guarding our tongue then we would hear our conscience say: “Is it wise for you to speak these words at this time? Would it be better to give it further thought?” Proverbs 10:21: “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.” Proverbs 10:31: “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut out.”
EDIFICATION: If edification was guarding our tongue then we would hear our conscience say: “Do your words build up or do they tear down? Do they preserve or do they spoil?” Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” 1 Corinthians 14:26: “Let all things be done for edification.”
The five godly virtues that must guard our mouth are truth, love, necessity, wisdom and edification. We know we need a guard when it comes to bad breath, yet our words are much more important than our breath because the effect of our words can last to eternity. As Jesus said, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). How much more careful ought we to be with the words that come out of our mouth than our bad breath? “Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.”