Regardless of how often you speak, you want to be thought of as a wise person. You want others to believe what you say. Having credibility in your speech means a lot to you. I know. You may not try to impress others with what you say. Or, you may want them to think highly of you. The fact remains that what and how you speak, causes other people to make an evaluation of you.
A lot of the time it is not so much the words that you normally speak that makes an impression. More times than not, it is those times where you speak before you think that gets you into trouble. You put your foot into your mouth. You have to eat crow. To help in speaking wise words, those Freudian slips of the tongue need to be minimized. William Norris has some helpful insights, when he said, “If your lips would keep from slips, five things observe with care: of whom you speak, to whom you speak, and how, and when, and where.” That will keep those slips of the tongue at a minimum.
Solomon was the wisest person to ever set foot on planet earth. In regards to your speech he has some words of wisdom that will help you greatly: “A time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7b; NASV). Nothing earth shattering about those words. They make perfect sense. They do give you a gentle reminder that you need to remember. Sometimes you definitely need to speak up and say what Christ puts on your tongue. There are other times, though, when you need to be silent. It is those times when you need to be silent, and you speak, that trouble arises.
Knowing when to speak and when to remain silent, is accomplished by asking the Holy Spirit to direct your tongue. Then wise words are spoken!
