THE LOQUACIOUS TONGUE

The Loquacious Tongue

When words are many, sin is not absent,

but he who holds his tongue is wise.

Proverbs 10:19




Have you ever talked to someone who seemed to

have diarrhea of the mouth? On and on she goes,

from one topic to another. Well, know from henceforth that the proper word for this malady is “loquaciousness.” It’s just a big word for a “motormouth.” While it is generally concluded that females have cornered the market on this use of the tongue, men can be guilty too. Now, I admit that I am not a “silent lamb” by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, my husband says that I will talk to a stop sign. However, I also take great pleasure in listening to others. In fact, people who are reputed to be shy talk to me freely.




When I am in the presence of an incessant talker,

I often wonder if that person is lonely, has few opportunities to talk to others, or just plain loves the sound of her voice. Whatever the motivation, excessive talking tends not to glorify God. I heard someone say that any conversation that lasts more than ten minutes will usually end up on the wrong path. The apostle Paul admonished the Thessalonians to “study to be quiet” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). To “study” implies a striving or intense effort. It will take some work to overcome this entrenched habit.




Dr. Joe R. Brown of Rochester, Minnesota, tells

of trying to get a physical history of a patient. The

man’s wife answered every question the doctor asked. Finally, Dr. Brown requested that she leave the room, but after she left he found that her husband couldn’t speak. Calling the wife back, Dr. Brown apologized for not realizing the man had aphasia—loss of speech—and could not speak a word. The wife was astonished. She didn’t know it either.*




If in the midst of your conversation you find

yourself veering down the path of loquaciousness,

try these quick detours:




• Simply stop talking and ask the other person an

open-ended question that would cause him to

respond with more than a simple yes or no. For

example, “John, what do you think about…?”




• Make the talking count. My mentor, the late Dr.

Juanita Smith, would often say,“I am not a woman

of few words, but I love to talk about the things of

God.” Share an interesting news story you’ve heard

or an insight God has given you on a Scripture. For

example, rather than succumbing to a negative

conversation, I keep telling everyone about my

“tongue fast” and the truths God has revealed from

His Word during my search of the Scriptures. They

listen with great interest and benefit.




Today’s Affirmation:

When my words are many, sin is not

absent, but when I hold my tongue, I



am considered wise.