The Bible says the tongue has the power of life and death. When we speak before we think, we often use our tongue as a death weapon. I’m encouraging you to think before you speak, and we’ve even made some bracelets for you to wear which say think. It’s a good reminder to carry with you all day, so before you speak you make certain what you say needs to be said and is said in the best possible way.

This acrostic for think will help you think before you speak. We already saw T stands for true. Speak only what you know to be true.

H stands for helpful: Are the words you’re just getting ready to say going to help anyone? If not, don’t say them.

Ephesians 4:29 is one of the most powerful verses in the Bible, in my opinion, and if we practiced it, we would think before we speak. It says,

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29).

Some time ago I began praying this verse into my life, and I encourage you to do the same. Then I noticed when I would start to say something, I would often hear that inaudible voice of God’s Spirit saying, “Is this going to help anyone else; will it benefit those who listen?” That has caused me to stop in the middle of lots of sentences, as I realized I didn’t need to say what I was planning to say because it wasn’t helpful to anyone else.

Can you even imagine the wonderful changes that would take place on our jobs, in our churches, and in our homes if we determined not to speak any words that were unwholesome, that did not benefit others? That would eliminate griping and complaining; it would keep us from nagging people; it would cause us to stop passing on gossip. My goodness, it would make a difference in the way we live.

Think about what you’re going to say before you say it. It’s so much easier to swallow those unhelpful words than it is to try to recover from them once they are said. If it’s not helpful, just don’t say it.