Day 4 The Hasty Tongue

Hasty - speedy, hurried, unduly quick or rash.
I confessed at the beginning of this series that my tongue is sometimes quicker than my brain. Speaking hastily leaves no room for thoughtfulness or wisdom. The author shared that her mentor advised her to Stop, think and pray before she spoke.
I think this would be a good chapter to employ the use of Amy Carmichael's third question. Is it necessary? I am trying to listen more and recognize when my two cents are not necessary in a conversation.
My son Owen, who is 10, tends to throw in his ideas a lot. It drives his sisters crazy. We are trying to teach him that it is not always necessary to comment in a conversation, especially that others are having. Another thing we are trying to impart is that he does not have to prove that he is right, even if he is. His tongue is hasty not to let things lie as they may. I know this tendency is a learned behavior from his sisters and I. So I have hope that he can unlearn it as well.
One other downfall of a hasty tongue is we may end up making commitments we haven't really thought through or prayed about.
God wants us to keep our promises. Matthew 5:37 'Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No', 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.'
This verse has helped me to be a person of my word and so I do not want to be hasty in committing to things. I still need a lot of help to bite my tongue and sit on my hands. In the past I overcommitted a lot in order to please people, my heart is now to please God and use my time wisely.
I like how Deborah Pegue ends this chapter. 'Time and words are two things that, once gone, can never be recovered. We must take time to weigh our words before we release them.'
How are you weighing your words today?
Speaking the Truth
James 1:19 'My dear brothers (and sisters) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.' (parentheses mine)