Keep It Shut

My mouth has always gotten me in trouble. You might say I am “quick to speak, slow to think.” The filter from my brain to my mouth doesn’t always work well.

I don’t mean to talk about others. I mean, I wouldn’t call it gossip. It’s only sharing – really, it’s harmless. We’re concerned and share those concerns. It’s just girlfriends talking.

I felt the repulsion of “girlfriends just talking” after I recalled a conversation a friend and I shared after church. A sick feeling stirred in my stomach and panic consumed my body as realized the subject of our chat was very close to where the conversation took place. Questions raced through my mind.

Did she hear us?

How should I act when I see her?

What kind of excuse can I make up for why we were talking about her?

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” rushed to my mind as conviction filled my heart. Nothing in my conversation had been helpful in building her up. Not one word spoken brought benefit to anyone who listened. Our conversation was gossip, casual, unconstrained conversation.

Have you ever had this experience? A moment when you regretted what came out of your mouth. We are not alone. My friend Karen says-  “her own words have often landed her in a heap of trouble.” She shares from experiences the how’s (and how-not-to’s) of dealing with the tongue in her new book Keep It Shut.

Keep It Shut will equip you to know what to say, how best to say it, and when you’d better just keep your lips zipped!This book will teach you:

• The difference between gossip and properly processing with a trusted friend
• A helpful grid for using our digital tongues as we talk online or on social media
• How to pause before you pounce, attacking the problem but not the person
• How to avoid saying something permanently painful just because you are temporarily ticked off
• What the Bible teaches about making our speech laced with grace, as sweet as honey, and yet seasoned with salt

To read a sample chapter click here.