Question: I’m embarrassed to say that my excessive gossiping at work led to me being passed over for a promotion. Any advice to help me control my mouth?

Answer: As a Believer, we always want our behavior to reflect the love of Christ. While we will never be perfect in this life, we must continuously examine ourselves so that we recognize when we mess up.  Then, we are to ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins and repent! Make the decision to stop the sinful behavior. Pray for God to help you change your ways!

Remember what God’s Word tells us in Proverbs 18:21:  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (NKJV)  We can use our words to lift others up and encourage them. Or we can use our words to tear others down and discourage them. Since we should be about drawing people to Christ, we ought to be using language that pleases God!

For example, when we go around at work laughing with others about how unattractive or unintelligent some fellow co-workers are, we know doing this is wrong.  Or, you go around spreading rumors to as many people as you can about embarrassing personal troubles of others you all know. You know you are doing wrong. You know that your words are hurting others.  And you know that if someone else was spreading hurtful rumors about you, you’d be very upset!  “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them…” (Matthew 7:12)

On the other hand, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life…” (Proverbs 15:4)  Positive words can be very useful in helping others and promoting what is good in the sight of God. With our mouths we can pray for others out loud.  We can inspire others to do their best and feel better about themselves. Most importantly, we can tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ!

Therefore, using our mouths to spread good words can make a big difference in the world. For example, we can tutor a child who is struggling with their school work. We can reassure a teen who is being bullied. We can pray with a friend who is in need of healing. And, we can thankfully share the Gospel!

So stop allowing your mouth to get you in trouble. Use your words for good. Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you keep your mouth in check. And most importantly, remember to regularly use your mouth to “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2 :11)

AMEN!