THE WORDS WE SPEAK:BRIDLE YOUR TONGUE.

Uche chibuike-Esiobu
Merriam webstar dictionary has defined the term Word as a sound or combination of sounds that has a meaning and is spoken or written, a brief remark or conversation, something that a person says, an order or command.

Having understood this, it becomes pertinent to know that research
has it that an average individual speaks 16,000 words in a day. if before we open our mouth to speak, more time is spent thinking through those words to be uttered, I guarantee you that the Words would come out sweeter and better. If it be so, then I am strongly of the opinion that our words count and should be chosen carefully so that we don’t end up speaking more idle words than real ones in a day.

Observing from our day to day activities and interactions, it is a bit obvious that people mostly talk before thinking, what an irony? And this is solely responsible for the increase in slander rate, defamation of character as well as character assassination usually achieved via hot gossip, where often times, people cook up a story that never existed in the first place.

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I believe the word of God is our first guide and it says and I quote Mattew 12:37 :For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Ephesians 4:29 ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers’.

So, that is the standard and before we speak, we ought to ascertain if the words we are about to utter would justify us or condemn us and having established that, we would further check if they are edifying and minister Grace or if they do the opposite which is to leave the person that hears it in a Worst state than when you were silent.

In the language of law, my lecturer told me that to the Lawyer, words are just what Insulin is to the Doctor and from this , it means Words are the main tools of trade of any legal practitioner because it is through your legal rhetoric that you convince or confuse the judge and even the Lawyer on the other side. Now we know that a lawyer
prepares thoroughly what to say and what to leave out so as to have a strong argument that would make him the party to win the case. In that like manner, we ought to start building out words to be firm but soft
as well.
My lecturer said that in a multitude of words there must be foolishness and stupidity, so he advised that if you don’t anything to say,you must not talk. This goes to show that talking Too Much Brings
Foolishness. Out of the mouth of people that talk too much, you find foolish and insensitive talks. Their mouth is filled with unprofitable word which makes them more foolish and attracts them to unwise people.

Well just like every other concept, Excessive Usage of words has it’s demerits which includes;

1: Talking Too Much Inspires Boasting: One of the reasons why people
talk too much is to attract others to themselves. In doing this, they talk about all their achievements, their past records, where they have been to, how much they worth and what they possess. They are good at lying so they can be seen bigger than they are by others.I personally feel that these set of people suffer from inferiority complex and so to make themselves popular by all means they resort to this.

2: Talking Too Much Brings About Loss Of Respect- A talkative loses his respect when he talks more than he knows. He talks more than people can accommodate so they begin to disrespect him and he loses his honour. A talkative does not place any value on himself so people around him do not place value on him either. Before this group of people utter a word, their audience is already yawning out of boredom because he/she is known for gibberish.

3: Talking Too Much Makes You Reveal More- People that talk too much have a weakness of talking more about themselves, their personal life’s, saying what they should not be saying without even noticing
that they have said it. The wise runs from such people because they know that their secrets are not safe and secured with these kind of people. And before you know it such a person is surrounded with friends that are uncomfortable around him/her.

4: Talking Too Much Makes You Err More. People that talk more are engaged and involved in more errors. They talk about others, they boast, lie and even cause quarrel amongst people with their gossips
and back stabbing.

5: Talking Too Much Is Someone’s Job- Some categories of people are heavily paid because they can talk well E.g Motivational Speakers, Clergy Men,Lecturers, even lawyers while in court. Their talent is well appreciated and it is converted to money. Why then have you decided to talk excessively when you are not paid a dime for it? You make it even worse because it is at the expense of your progress. one may ask how does it effect my GP? Well I think it sure does. because while your peers are studying, you would go about acting the class clown and you surely cannot give what you do not have so when Exams comes calling ,you start fidgeting and
looking for 2nd options.yes it is true that some people that talk less still don’t do well academically but am more concerned with the some of us that could perform better if only we talked less.

6: Excessive Talking or talking too much produces devastating health
effects – it Promotes some chronic disease so we can save ourselves from all these chronic diseases if we decide to limit the way we talk. Talk when it is appropriate to, not when you just feel like moving your
mouth.and If you’re chronically using your voice in an abnormal way by excessive and unnecessary talking, you’re traumatizing the vocal cords

7: Talking Too Much is a real time waster- They are always complaining
that they have no time to address their goals, pursue their vision and unlock their potentials, yet they have enough time to gist with others about irrelevant things. Talking too much is a bad habit, and when it is cultivated it takes almost all the hours that is meant for industrious actions.

8: Talking Too Much Brings About Gossip- People that talk too much
have made it a habit of talking about other people. Did you hear of Mr Chris new behavior? Have you seen Miss Catherine new look? It would definitely have been better if their conversations are always
positive. They are always picking and discussing about the negatives of people when they have so many negatives to trash out in their own lives. These set of people have taken the position of perpetual critics, it is pertinent to note that there is Constructive as well as Destructive Criticism. However, most times these ones are often destructive.

9: Talking Too Much brings about Listening Less.
Successful people do more of talking less and listening more so that they can gain added knowledge from what others have to say. Talking more means you are contented with your own knowledge and you are not
willing to learn from others. Another lecturer of mine taught me that it pays to listen more in a meeting and keep nothing from others view and at the closure of the meeting, you raise your hands to say
something and because you have reflected on each person’s view as well as yours, you can make a phenomenal contribution to the issue at hand and equally earn more respect as a wise man.

Well let us equally note that the Bible condemns excessive talking looking at the points shared below;

1: An evil heart can’t speak good words. Matthew 12:34-37,
‘O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh’
‘ A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things’.
‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment’.
‘For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned’.

2: We shall give account of our words to our creator.

3: Importance of words:
Ephesians 4: 29, James 1:26 &3:2 Eph 4:29
‘Let no corruptd communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace
unto the hearers.

James 1:26 ‘If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion [is] vain’.

James 3:2 ‘For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body’.

4: Bridle the tongue:
Proverbs 10:19 ‘In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that
refraineth his lips [is] wise’.

5: Talk about the Lord:
Malachi 3:16-17 ‘Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name’.

‘And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him’.

Conclusively, when in doubt, don’t try to please people by boasting because it would only fetch you fake friends who are your
friends because they think your parents are in United States of America while they are not. or people who think your father is a sitting senator while he is the privileged driver of the senator. Beware! True gems don’t need to announce themselves as
even their actions speaks of charisma, quality and Excellence. It’s never late to retrace out steps . Remember it is our duty not just to make ourselves proud but also make our families and make God proud.
Thanks.

For knowledge and Justice