A Real Tongue-Leashing

The flop seemed nondescript, and downright ordinary - 8-7-4 with different suits.  But when one woman at our table saw that the other night, she couldn't believe her eyes.  She'd folded her hand before the flop, and clearly now regretted it.

"Son of a...."

"Check," we said - not only because we were first to act, but to help finish her sentence in a nice way.

To her credit, the woman stopped short and realized what she was at the brink of doing.  "Please forgive me, God.  Please forgive me, God," she said quietly.

This was one of those rare moments when a fellow poker player responded to our "prompt" in a positive way.  To borrow a cliche, the woman bit her tongue.  It's something we wish more people did -- in general, not simply at a poker table.

As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one.... Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.  The poison of vipers is on their lips.  Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." - Romans 3:10, 13-14

You can probably guess how an unrighteous person would have finished that exclamation about the 8-7-4 flop.  We can remember when that was considered cursing; sadly, it's now practically a standard part of the vocabulary.  The apostle Paul goes on to explain why this trend is happening....

There is no fear of God before their eyes. - Romans 3:18

A right and proper fear of God should change not only the way we walk, but the way we talk.  Instead of "talking trash" around the poker table, it's possible to do the exact opposite:

A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.  Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. - Proverbs 16:23-24

Not even U.S. presidential candidates are immune from making regrettable comments and misstatements.  But you can be different.  Ask for God's help in choosing your words as carefully as you play your poker hands.