Scripture Reading(s)
Ecclesiastes 5:2-7
2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.
3 A dream comes when there are many cares,
and many words mark the speech of a fool.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.
5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.
6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?
7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
Reflections
The teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes runs though a mega list of things that are foolish in life. Coming to the end of his own life and realizing that all he worked for and had done would be lost, he searched his soul for meaning in life. He found very little. He did however, developed a few words of wisdom along the way. The passage above is one such piece of wisdom, about the dangers of the tongue.
“Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.”
Our mouths are dangerous weapons which hold the proverbial power of life and death. With out tongues we can either curse God or praise Him. We create wars on this world and create peace. We must speak always with the fear and the love of God and not with haste or anger. We must tame our tongues as the brother of Jesus (James) instructed us.