Why I Bite My Tongue Sometimes

April 2, 2013 By 2 Comments

Have you ever been in a situation when you really wanted to give someone a piece of your mind, yet you kept silent?

This happens to me all of the time which may be hard for some people to believe because I do often share my opinion, even if it isn’t requested. :)

While I do my fair share of talking and opinion giving, I bite my tongue. A lot.

Every day people, either in real life or online, do or say things that I disagree with or that annoy me.

Why not just lay it all out there and give people a piece of my mind? Wouldn’t it be a lot less stressful than keeping it inside?

Well, there are definitely times when keeping silent wouldn’t be the right choice. For example, if one of my children was doing drugs or something else that was harmful physically or spiritually then it is my God-given responsibility to help guide them along the right path.

However, the situations I am referring to aren’t really a big deal. Here are a few real life examples.

Wadded up socks in the hamper, not replacing the toilet paper, not helping (even if I didn’t ask), or simply not reading my mind because I don’t seem to possess the ability to communicate what I need the person to do. :)

Examples of online annoyances might be improper grammar, giving false information, or expressing an opinion I don’t agree with.

I think that these are instances where saying something without thinking will come across as being nit-picky. I need to ask myself this question before responding.

Will the words that come out of my mouth (or that my fingers type) show that I am a follower of Christ?

Ouch! Did I step on any toes? I know mine hurt.

There is so much negativity in this world and often we Christians aren’t helping when we say things that come across as hypocritical and judgmental.

We need to not always be so quick to speak because the old saying about sticks and stones really isn’t true. Words do hurt and they are hard to forget.

Not only should we be mindful of the words that we say, but we should also keep our thought life in check as well. That is a hard one because it is definitely easier to bite my tongue than to control my thoughts.

However, I think Psalm 19:14 sums up what I am trying to say, with far few words.

Psalm 19:14

Filed Under: Bible/Christianity, Random Thoughts
  • Svetlana

    I don’t think complaining about things such as toilet rolls, or even nitpicking at grammar makes you unChristian. It makes you HUMAN. (From a non-Christian, by the way. I enjoy your blog, but seriously - give yourself a break!)

    • http://www.blessingsoverflowing.com/ Jackie

      Thank you so much for your comment, Svetlana. I do tend to be pretty hard on myself. I am so glad you like my blog. I have fun with it. :)

      I guess the point I was trying to make, and maybe didn’t even make, was that I think we need to be mindful of the tone and manner in which we “complain” about things like no toilet paper when you need it. :) Often we tend to react in the moment and don’t realize how we sound until we have already bitten someone’s head off or been nitpicking at someone. I do agree that those types of reactions make us human, but I want to try to be more careful of how my words can affect my family especially.