In Proverbs, chapter thirteen, verse three, careless speech and an unbridled tongue can undermine our influence for righteousness, cause us to sin, as in Ecclesiastes five, verse six, and affect our relationship with God, as in Ecclesiastes five, verse seven. A perfect person carefully controls their speech, as in Proverbs eight, verses six through eight, and James three, verse two. We should ask God for help in ruling our tongues.
The theme verse, “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” The difference between staying out of trouble and getting in it. The prayer of believers should be as in Psalm one hundred and forty-one, verse three, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”
Here are a few verses between the wise and the wicked with their mouths. “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked,” from Proverbs ten, verse eleven. “Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction” from verse fourteen. “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise,” from verse nineteen.
Those who do not keep their mouths under control can make themselves look ridiculous, as in Proverbs eighteen, verse seven, “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” The mouth can get away from us and become like those in Second Timothy three, verse three, “Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.”
All believers should remember this from James three, verse ten, “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”