Do you ever struggle with saying the wrong thing at the wrong time? Is the taste of shoe leather something all too familiar? Frank Clark wrote, “When a man eats his words, that’s recycling.” Hi, I’m Tom Ellsworth from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church with a minute message.
This warning label was found on a fountain pen, “When this pen runs too freely, it is nearly empty.” We can adapt that wisdom to our daily lives: “When this mouth runs too freely, the brain is nearly empty.” Nothing is more indicative of a weak mind than an overactive tongue. Do not let its tiny size fool you – small things can do great damage. Several years ago, a squirrel climbed onto the Metro-North Railroad power lines near New York City. This set off an electrical surge, which weakened an overhead bracket, which let a wire dangle toward the tracks, which tangled in a train, which tore down all the lines. As a result, 47,000 commuters were stuck in Manhattan for hours.
The book of James reminds us that “no man can tame the tongue.” It’s small but powerful so watch your words. Most of us could do with a little less verbal recycling!