“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

Over the last couple of weeks, I have watched numerous Christian leaders forget the essence of this verse. A church in Colorado is going through a very challenging time as a result of a few leaders assuming they should speak out against other leaders within their church. They claimed the high road. But this isn’t a game where the one who shouts the answer first wins. They would have been much better served by remaining silent and allowing the Lord’s will to play out. God is perfectly capable of convicting His children and bringing them through their struggles without others calling them out. Often, motives—sometimes not even known by those involved—are misunderstood, leading to premature and harmful words. It appears that church will survive, but it will be under the leadership of a new pastor and a few new staff members. Thankfully, no pastor owns a congregation. The body of Christ is just that: Christ’s body, not any one man’s. Guarding one’s lips may be the solution to as much as 75% or more of a person’s blunders. Sexual and financial sins hurt many churches. These are hidden sins that eventually become public. But arrogance and self-righteousness are internal sins that often bubble to the surface through a person’s words—poisoning a congregation and affecting the broader community even more deeply. Today, watch your mouth,speak only when absolutely necessary—and maybe not even then. #BeTheEdge

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”James‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬