Trapped
Proverbs 6:1-2 CSB
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor
or entered into an agreement with a stranger,
2 you have been snared by the words of your mouth—
trapped by the words from your mouth.
There is a principle in these verses. The written context is a father giving advice to his son, putting up a security pledge for a neighbor, or entering into an agreement with a stranger. Both can be hazardous positions. The warning concerns the snare and the trap that you will enter into. But notice the trap is with the word that was given. Evidently, in this time period, agreements could be verbal as opposed to our written agreements of today. Today, the warning would be don't sign a security deposit for a neighbor or enter into a contract with a stranger. That is simply good practical advice, and many of us can witness to the truth in that warning.
Here is another warning, more spiritual than practical, but just as important. Don't be trapped and snared by the words of your mouth. Not necessarily the words regarding a commitment to a neighbor or stranger, but the words you speak about yourself, your future, your relationships, including your relationship with the Lord.
This is a trap many are not aware of, and yet the spiritual principle of death and life in the power of the tongue is still in operation. The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about the words of our mouth. Here are three verses that deal with our words. "There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health." Proverbs 12:18 NKJV "A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1 NKJV "Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him." Proverbs 29:20 NKJV. And there are many more verses that emphasize the power of the mouth, tongue, lips, all having to do with our words.
Avoid the trap of saying exactly what you feel. That is a sure-fire way to stir up anger and start something you will regret. Avoid the trap of speaking negative words about your relationships with those around you. Don't get snared by declaring that God does not care about you. This is more than "just saying," these are words that hurt our inner man and limit our lives.
When I look back on my life, some of my greatest regrets involve things I said. I have been way too hasty with my mouth and paid the price for my errors. We don't have to say everything that comes to mind. We don't have to always share our opinions. The Proverbs say that being judicious in our words creates the illusion that we are smart. "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive." Proverbs 27:18 NKJV
No one would knowingly walk into a trap. The biggest trap we must avoid is right beneath our nose.