Guarding Your Words: When One Slip Can Shake a Testimony

One word spoken in haste can shatter what took years to build—but God’s light can still shine through the cracks.

Psalms 141:3

“Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.”

What you say flows from what’s in your heart. I know we’ve heard from the Lord on this topic quite a few times—must be important, right?

I’ve disappointed people before with my words. I remember one of my employees once saying, “That’s the first time I’ve heard you swear.” That moment hit me hard. I had let my guard down, and the enemy used it to tear down what God had been building through my witness. I felt ashamed and embarrassed. But even in that failure, the Lord used it to teach me something powerful about guarding your words and walking humbly in His grace.

I learned that despite my mistakes, I am still loved and still have purpose with my Heavenly Father. I apologized for swearing, but I knew something had been lost. Influence is fragile. The moment we let our words reflect the world instead of Christ, the enemy seizes that opportunity to whisper doubt into the minds of those watching us.

That’s why guarding your words matters so much. We’re called to be different—to speak from love, not pride; from patience, not frustration. Every word we speak should bring glory to God. If it doesn’t, we’re missing the mark.

A single word or action can change the trajectory of someone’s life. What flows from your mouth can either push someone away from God or launch them straight into His arms.

Luke 6:45

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

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