Have you ever pictured having a door on your lips? A door that can slam shut would be the most useful.

The bible says, “Set a guard over your mouth, keep watch over the door of your lips.” (Psalms 14:13)

Have you ever had the door wide open and said things that you wish you hadn’t said? Sometimes we need to close that door and lock it tight!

I have a tendency to over speak and I’ve done that for years. I have to be aware of what I’m doing because I’m not one for leaving the last 10% on the table during negotiations or when sharing my feelings.

I see a need in my life to use more diplomacy when I share things with people.

I want to start speaking more words of encouragement to people, build them up and make them feel better instead of potentially doing the opposite.

God has impressed upon me the need to develop and exercise self-control. I need to put a guard over my mouth, calm down, and address the situation with an email or talk to the person face-to-face a day later; instead telling them, “What are you thinking?!?!” That type of statement only makes me feel better; it doesn’t benefit them at all.

THE CHALLENGE IS it requires patience, discipline, and determination on my part. Every leader is going to have moments where they tell their employees to do something a certain way and hours later it’s not happening.

Instead of saying, “You’re doing this wrong!”

Try saying, “This is an area of opportunity for you.”

It just sounds so much better.

I’d like to encourage you to remember that people are motivated by encouragement than by discouragement.