“I said, ‘I will guard my ways,
that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
so long as the wicked are in my presence.’”
– Psalm 39:1
Have you made this commitment? It doesn’t seem that many have in our culture that celebrates “owning” our opponents, “mike drop” moments, going viral, and getting the last word. As followers of Jesus, we must carefully weigh whether our brilliant words to “win” a conflict or debate actually bring glory to God or if we’re just sinning with our tongues.
It’s not OK to “win” through sin! Every follower of Jesus must recognize that sinning with our tongue is not only possible, it’s really, really easy. Jesus said the wisest, strongest, most astonishing words without ever sinning. We aren’t Jesus, so we must be very thoughtful about our words BEFORE we say them to make sure He’ll be pleased with them.
Sinful words in defense of Jesus don’t defend Jesus. They make Him look false, petty, and just like everyone else. Sinful words in favor of God aren’t favored by God. Silence is better than sinful sound. Learn to tell the difference between strong words with and without sin. Learn how to present your position well, accurately, passionately, and without sinning.
You’re mistaken if you think you have to sin to win or if you’re excusing hurtful, ugly, cruel, obscene, profane, demeaning, or false words by claiming they’re for a good purpose. Regardless of their purpose, sin is sin and a muzzle is preferable to an open mouth!