Keep a Guard Over Your Lips.
ALAS, how many hearts are to-day bleeding and lacerated because of utterances which have fallen from unguarded lips! Sleepless nights, days of anguish, sighs, tears, and heart-aches are often the result of a hasty, unkind remark. Reader, you may be neither cruel nor malignant—you may be too gentle to use harsh phrases or bitter epithets—but are you as careful as you ought to be in regard to what you say of others; or do you not, in some unhappy mood, some unguarded moment, speak lightly or disparagingly of some one? Do you, at times, question the motives, and complain of the actions, and exhibit the weak points, even of those you love and respect? Be careful! Be careful! Ten to one your remark will be repeated. Every time it is told it will gather a little strength. By-and-by it will reach the ears of the one of whom it was spoken, and, oh, how it will wound! How the sensitive heart will ache, and what bitter tears will fall! The injured one may grieve in secret, may shed her tears alone, may suffer in silence, and even treat you as before; but her love has been chilled, her confidence in your friendship shaken, and never, never again will you have quite the same place in her heart. And remember, too, that Jesus sees those tears, and understands the sigh of that poor, burdened soul, and, think you, He will hold you guiltless? “Inasmuch as ye did it unto these,” has a more general application than many seem to think. O, reader, if you love Jesus, be careful how you speak of those who bear His name! Better be injured than to injure. Keep a guard over your lips. Ask Jesus to help you. And if you can’t say pleasant things about your acquaintances, don’t speak of them at all.—Christian Woman.