“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!” (James 3:5).
Don’t do it! When that inner voice (the Holy Spirit) says do not say it, do you listen and obey? I know that nagging propensity to be right, the desire to win out, the demand to be heard, the passion for victory in an argument, the closed mindedness and refusal to examine yourself, and the glory of proving your own point.
What about the cost? The cost of broken friendship, the cost of abandonment, the cost of a lifeless marriage, the cost of a blemished reputation, or the cost of irreconcilable words. Those words that destroy, words that hurt, words that separate, words that scar, and words that kindle the fire of destruction.
Let us remember the weightier matters of our faith. Love God and love others. Turn from the hypocrisy of blessing a person one day and cursing them the next. Learn to close your mouth and refrain from speaking words that you’ll regret. Walk off and pray. Walk away and allow Christ to give you His perspective. Be led by the Spirit and directed by the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Is it really worth it?