The Tongue... A Servant of The Mind

Proverbs 21:23 that says this, "Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble."

Different translations say it this way:
"guard your mouths..." NIV
"keep your mouth and tongue..." ESV
"be careful what you say..." GNV

The word "guard."  means this = "to hedge about; protect; attend to."
Ahh..  we must put a hedge of protection around our mouths.  We must attend well to the safety of our words.

This means:
    to be careful of what I say.
    to make sure things I say are truthful.
    to say things without dissimulation.
    to say things that are not injurious to others.
    to say things that are not provoking & offensive.
    to say things that are not filled with wrath or bad language that stirs up contention.

My commentary says this, "[the tongue] is always the servant of the mind, it never moves with volition."

The word “volition” means this = "a choice, a desire, determination of the will, election, preference, purpose, choosing."

In other words, we cannot say, "the devil made me do it" when it comes to out tongue.  We cannot say, "I couldn't control myself", or, "It just came out."

No.

It was a volition. 
It was a choice.
It was my desire.
It was a determination of my will.
It was a preference of mine to speak that way.
It was purposeful and I chose it.

WOW.

That really changes everything.

And so for me, I know I must get better at this.
The tongue is a servant of the mind and an action of the will.  One that God has graciously given me a governing authority over.

I must learn to
"Talk less.  Talk with intention and purpose that brings life to everything and everyone.”

It matters… it keeps me out of trouble… it keeps my conscious clear, keeps me free of guilt and distress… and ultimate danger.  And it displays Jesus in me, in the best light possible.