Loaded Gun

10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
-1 Peter 3:10

I have a rule that I'm not very good at following. But when I do, I find that good days follow me. The rule is this. If I'm angry, I'm not allowed to speak. It's that simple. If I'm angry, I'm not allowed to speak. Even if I know I'm right. Even if I know the other person needs to hear what I'm about to say, Even if I know they've got it coming, I'm still not allowed to speak. Because anger blinds the mind from clear thinking, and even if your thinking is correct, anger always taints the way we speak, and words of healing become daggers. James 1:19 says we should be "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." When you feel offended there is nothing more unnatural than to be quick to listen and slow to speak to the offender. In the moment it always seems clear and justified to lash out, but every single time I act that way I find in retrospect that I've gone wrong. A situation where I was clearly in the right becomes my moment of shame. James 3 says the tongue can destroy your life like a fire. Isn't this true? It is amazing how with just a few words you can cause damage that can never be restored. There are things one can say in a moment that can never be taken back. The tongue is like fire--or like a loaded gun. Imagine how you would act if you were walking around all day with a loaded gun. You would always be conscious of it. You would be constantly making sure that the safety was on and that it wasn't pointed at someone. Because with one small move you could do irreparable damage. The same is true with the tongue. But taming the tongue will, as Peter says, bring good days.