Watch Your Words: A Devotional on Taming Your Tongue  - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - March 24, 2026

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3, NKJV). 

As Christ followers, our speech should reflect Him and His ways and be seasoned with grace, humility, and love. If we confess our faith in Christ, there should be evidence of our changed speech as well as our changed life and behavior. When people meet us, they should hear and see something different than the rest of the world, which does not follow the Lord. 

I admit, I struggle to tame my tongue, especially when I am caught up in my emotions and/or sleep-deprived or hungry. My flesh wants to rule, and one way that happens in my life is how I am wielding my words. 

If there were one verse from the Bible that I should have tattooed under my eyelids, it would be from Psalm 141:

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3, NKJV).

This has become a constant prayer for me, especially as I am seeing how my speech is influencing my children. Children are little sponges, and they absorb everything we say and do. My oldest is becoming a master of sarcasm thanks to me. I see my sinful speech tendencies in my children, and I don’t want these habits to form into consistent behavior. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34), so our words are a reflection of what is going on in our hearts. We should pause when we see ungodly speech become consistent in our lives, repent, and ask God to help us guard our mouths and choose our words wisely, or to know when to be silent. 

Even in disagreements, we should continue to speak with a heart of love for others and not use profanity or offensive remarks that would hurt or cause pain. We should also be careful not to grumble or complain or speak ungraciously about someone, but to use our tongue to proclaim our thankfulness unto the Lord, as well as speak good and edifying things of others. Taming the tongue is something we must grow in each day as the Lord sanctifies us. The good news is that we are never left on our own to walk in that type of self-control regarding our words. It is not something we can do apart from the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. The temptation to use our tongue for our own benefit and reputation is strong, but let us be quick to ask the Lord for His help daily as we continue to grow in the likeness of Him, especially in our speech.

Do you struggle with watching what you say? Let’s take time to repent for using our tongues to puff ourselves up above others, complain about our circumstances, or hurt others with painful words that cut deep to the heart. We need God’s help to control our tongues in times of strife or disagreement with others. Our words should be used to glorify and honor God and share His truth and gospel. Do your actions reflect your speech? By God’s grace, He can help your life match your profession of faith. Ask the Lord to help you guard your mouth and to choose your words wisely, or know when it’s best not to say anything at all. When your flesh wants to rule, God will always provide a way out every time you are tempted to use your words in a foolish way to hurt others or complain. Our desire should be to look more and more like Jesus in word and deed, and the more we spend time with Him and read His word, the more He will be faithful to work in our lives!

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/MementoJpeg

Emily Massey began writing short stories and poetry as a little girl, entered the blogging world in her early 20s, and published her first book in 2015. She enjoys being a homeschooling momma of four boys, while still being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Believing she has been forgiven much, she loves much, and desires to point others to Christ and His redemptive and transforming power, especially by sharing truth found in God’s written word. If you would like to connect with Emily, you can visit www.emilyrosemassey.com.

Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour

Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.

Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone. 

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