“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”— Proverbs 10:19

There are people in my life whom I cannot ever remember hearing sin with their words. It’s remarkable, I know. My father was one of them. He was the kindest person I’ve known—very careful with his words, an encourager. He didn’t avoid sin by being silent, but by offering encouragement and reproof. He was willing to confront when necessary. He did it with me fairly often, and with peers, I later found out. He was not a man of many words. He didn’t talk all the time. I remember watching him and knowing the “wheels were turning” inside that engineer’s brain.

I, however, have sinned with my words more often than I’d like to count. I’ve had to go back and ask for forgiveness many times. So, I’ve learned to be sparing with my private words. Many think I don’t speak enough—and they might be right. In compensating for one temptation, it’s possible to err in the opposite direction. So here I am, in print, baring my weaker side to you in the hope that we might learn together. …

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