Knowing When to Stay Quiet and Choosing Your Words

Hey, carpool crew. Some of you might be watching this at home with your family, and some of you might be riding in the car, giving it a listen, and some of you might be finishing breakfast before heading out for a day of adventure. Wherever you are, I'm so glad you pressed play. I'm Pastor Justin, and I'm honored that you're listening to Carpooling with Jesus on Pure Flix. Our verse today is from Proverbs chapter 10, verse 19. Here's what it says: when there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is prudent. See, in Proverbs, prudence is another word for wise self-control. Someone who's prudent doesn't just do or say the first thing that pops into their head. They think, they pause, and they respond with wisdom. And Solomon's warning here is pretty simple. Talk too much and you're gonna mess up. Words can get away from you, and when they do, they often hurt people or stir up trouble. Even Jesus said that we'll give an account for every careless word we say, not because he wants us to be afraid, but because words matter. This verse isn't saying don't talk. It's saying don't talk without thinking. Because when you talk too much, especially without thinking, what do we do? We gossip, we exaggerate, we tell little lies, not the whole truth. We say stuff we don't really mean. We interrupt other people. We speak out of anger. Who's ever done that before? You can raise your hand. I've spoken out of anger before. But the one who controls his lips, that person is wise, they're strong. They know when to speak and when to stay silent. If Jesus were walking the hallways with you at school today, or sitting there at the kitchen table for homeschool, he might whisper something like, you don't have to say everything you think. Self-control is strength. Jesus knew exactly when to speak and exactly when to stay silent. Even when people mocked him, he didn't always respond. He showed us what real strength looks like. Let's say everyone's sitting around the table at lunch and everyone's just joking around, someone's getting roasted, and you have the perfect comeback line. It'll make people laugh. It'll sting a little bit too. You get ready to say it, and then you pause, and actually you decide not to say it, to hold back. That's wisdom, that's self-control. That's exactly what Solomon is talking about. You don't always get credit for it, but God sees it, and he says it's prudent, meaning smart and mature and wise beyond your years. So what are some ways you can apply this today? First, pause before you speak, especially when you're mad or just trying to be funny and get a laugh. Second, you can ask yourself, will these words help or hurt? Are these gonna encourage someone or make them feel bad? And lastly, remember that silence is often stronger than any comment we can make. When we just hold back, that's wisdom. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you love today's episode, consider sharing it with a parent friend or someone you know so they can discover Carpooling with Jesus too. Now, before you go, answer this question together: what's one situation where you wish you had said less? And what would you do differently next time? Thanks for joining us today on Carpooling with Jesus. Make sure you check out our other episodes and don't forget to follow us on Instagram at Carpooling with Jesus. We are so glad you're part of the Carpool Crew. Catch you next time.