Loose Lips Sink Ships

When I thought about the phrase, I wondered if it might have an origin connected to war. It was the product of the War Advertising Council’s public service ads in World War II to prevent indiscreet communication which might give away secrets to the enemy (click here ). My shop teacher, Chief Canady, used to admonish us with a variation: “Lippity lip sinks the ship!” 

Unguarded talk. No filter. In the brain, out the mouth. There are different ways to say it, but so often it is a destructive weapon that torpedoes relationships and fractures trust. It can also be blind to the circumstances and experiences of others. When we’re so eager to express our opinions and vehemently state our positions, our words can cause blunt force trauma! Proverbs repeatedly warns about this. In fact, it is one of the major themes of the entire book. Consider just a sample: 

• “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise” (10:19).
• “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing” (12:18). 
• “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin” (13:3).
• “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly” (15:2).
• “The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness” (16:21).
• “A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire” (16:27).
• “He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent” (17:27-28).
• “A fool’s lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul” (18:6-7).
• “He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles” (21:23).
• “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (29:20).

This is just the hem of the garment of all God through Solomon, Agur, and Lemuel have to say about the power of words for good or evil (18:21). Let us be careful about how we talk in the presence of the impressionable, new Christians, children and young people, those with a sinful past, and the hurting (Luke 17:1-2). That does not mean constantly walking on egg shells, but it also does not mean constantly cavorting like a bull in a China shop (Eph. 4:29). Let us give thoughts to our words from private conversations to water cooler topics to Bible class comments. When we combine self-awareness with others-awareness, surely this will color our speech and produce lips that do not sink ships (or souls!).