Guard Yourself From Trouble

Temperance 5/21/2019: Guard Yourself From Trouble

It takes a tremendous amount of self-control to hold your tongue when the pressure is on. As your internal temperature rises, the urge to unleash the verbal fury within strengthens. Can you say what is on your mind in a way that will keep you from trouble? If not, it may be best to bury those word until you can master your emotions.

I can’t recall how many times I let my guard down and spoke in anger without restraint. Every time it came out with the intention to cut. Every time, I regretted it later. How often did I sound foolish? How often were my words a jumbled mess, incoherent, and contrary to the words in my mind? Why couldn’t I have stayed silent? The end-result would have been different. But no, I let pride get in the way. I had to have the last word. What foolishness!

Remember these words by Ben Franklin: If you argue and rankle and contradict, you may achieve a victory sometimes; but it will be an empty victory because you will never get your opponent’s good will.

I can do better. We can do better. We can stay humble and remain silent. We don’t have to stoop to the level of those who would antagonize us. Let them bury themselves in the foolishness of their words, while we guard ourselves from trouble.

Those who guard mouth and tongue guard themselves from trouble. -Proverbs 21:23