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October 29, 2025<\/span><\/p>\n How Not To Regret Your Words<\/strong><\/span> Lee en espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble.\u201d Proverbs 21:23 (CSB)<\/em><\/p>\n It was a girls\u2019 getaway weekend where some besties and I brought along a new friend to spend time thrift shopping, dining out, hanging around the hotel, and chatting over lattes. It was the break I desperately needed, and it all went well \u2014 that is, until the ride home.<\/p>\n The new friend made a joke about her looks. Awkwardness hung in the air when she finished speaking. Always one to fill the silence, I piped up, making a self-deprecating joke about my own looks. However, it wasn\u2019t very funny. In fact, although I didn\u2019t mean it to be, it could\u2019ve been interpreted as a bit offensive.<\/p>\n The conversation shifted, but for the rest of the trip, I kept mulling over what I\u2019d said, gathering feelings of shame and stupidity and rolling them into one big ball of regret.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve often wished I\u2019d kept my words to myself, stopping them at the thought stage before they leaked out of my lips. How can we learn to lock our lips, preventing them from causing remorse or fractured friendships?<\/p>\n Proverbs 21:23 gives us some advice: \u201cThe one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The original Hebrew word for \u201cguards\u201d<\/em> here implies putting a hedge around something. Hedges are protective, keeping things from either escaping or entering. A hedge also isn\u2019t something you hurriedly erect. It takes forethought.<\/p>\n For example, I plant a hedge of marigolds around my garden early each spring. The rabbits that love to crunch on carrots do not like to munch on marigolds. Therefore, they stay away. But to be successful, I have to think ahead, planting that hedge early.<\/p>\n Hedging our words in \u2014 intentionally thinking about them before they escape our lips \u2014 can save us a lot of trouble and even keep us from sinful behavior. Perhaps we should adopt a few \u201crules of tongue\u201d when it comes to guarding our mouths:<\/p>\n Today, may we determine to stop imprudent words from leaking through our lips, instead hedging them in at the thought stage and then replacing them with kind and productive words \u2014 or even occasionally with blessed silence.<\/p>\n Dear God, help me to set a guard over my mouth, carefully noticing what I am about to say and discerning whether it is wise or not. I want my words to please You. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n Need a resource to help you watch your words and improve your relationships? Grab the 10-year-anniversary, updated release of Karen\u2019s New York Times<\/em> bestselling book Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All<\/em>. It includes a 10-day devotional and a bonus chapter on how we talk to ourselves. If you preorder it by November 3, you get a host of digital freebies, including social media graphics, lock screens, a five-day devotional PDF, a \u201cWatch Your Words\u201d printable, and a podcast episode on how to speak the truth in love. Check it out here.<\/p>\n To celebrate the 10th anniversary re-release of Keep It Shut,<\/em> Karen is giving away a \u201cGracious Speech\u201d gift basket that includes a CSB Lifeway Women\u2019s Bible<\/em>, a set of pastel highlighters, Bible tabs, a leather journal, some delicious treats, and more. Head to her Instagram for details.<\/p>\n Psalm 141:3, \u201cLORD, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips\u201d (CSB).<\/p>\n Can you remember a time when you did not guard your lips but spoke in a way you later regretted? What happened?<\/p>\n If you could revisit the situation and behave differently, what words would you utter instead \u2014 or would you decide to just remain silent?<\/p>\n We\u2019d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2025 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Proverbs 31 Ministries
KAREN EHMAN<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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