Akaki Mindiashvili
Idle talk and much speaking are a service to evil, a service to falsehood, because as a rule whoever talks much and without ceasing will mix a great deal of falsehood in with it. The source of the vice of much speaking, as the holy fathers observed, is the absence of the fear of God, a disordered and unrestrained life, and also idleness, love of honour, gluttony, ignorance, and not knowing what danger idle talk holds for the salvation of the soul. Much speaking quenches in us the feeling of repentance for our sins and empties the soul. Whoever has deep contrition for his own sins and sinful inclinations keeps his tongue bridled as well; whoever has come to know his own sins, whoever has a feeling of repentance and guilt for his sins before God and neighbour, restrains his tongue and puts a bridle on it; but whoever loves excessive, “endless” talk, chatter and prattle does not yet know himself as he ought. Fasting, that is, abstinence, is required of us not only in eating but in speaking too, as Solomon the Wise says: “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction” (Prov. 13:2). One of the marks and virtues of a truly God-fearing man is fasting in speech: a righteous man hates an unjust word (13:5).
The holy apostle Paul also counsels us: shun profane babblings, which lead people on to more ungodliness... study to shew thyself approved unto God (2 Tim. 2:16).
If our mouth is always open for talking, it will never be filled with divine grace, for such a mouth is like the door of a house that is heated all the time yet never grows warm, because the door always stands open. Therefore a talkative man can never become a dwelling place and a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Solomon warns us more than once of the harm of empty talk and idle words:
“Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed” (Prov. 13:3)
“In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them” (14:3)
“Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge” (14:7)
“The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness” (20:19)
“He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: meddle not with him that openeth wide his lips” (Prov. 20:19)
“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Prov. 21:23)
If any of us thinks that he is a servant of God and of the truth, yet cannot bridle his tongue, his service is empty and vain, and his heart is full of deception (James 1:26).
Even prayer itself, if it is uttered inattentively and lazily, is idle talk.
Long talk and chatter weaken, drain and chill a man's soul and make it barren for the works that are pleasing to God, good for one's neighbour and profitable to one's own soul. Besides this, love of silence, silence itself, shelters us from many sins and turns many temptations away from us. Therefore, like the holy prophet David, let us try to guard our way from sinning with the tongue, to set a bridle on our mouth (Ps. 38:1).
Not infrequently a conversation is begun with “holy words,” and when it goes on longer than is fitting, it ends with unseemly words and shameless foul language.
Such an attitude toward the word, toward speech, will help us to attain perfection, for whoever offends not in word is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body... We put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; ships, however great they may be and however strong the wind that tosses them, are turned by a small helm whithersoever the helmsman will. So too is the tongue. It is a little member, and boasteth great things. A little fire burns up a great forest. The tongue also is a fire, a whole world of iniquity... it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature... This evil is unruly and deadly. It is full of poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men, made in the image of God. Out of the one mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be, — the apostle James instructs us (3:2–18). Yes, it ought not so to be. And that it may not be so, let us, together with the holy prophet David, fervently ask God in our prayers: “Set a watch, O Lord, over my mouth, a guard upon my lips. Let not my lips turn aside to an evil word” (Ps. 140:3–4).
God, if we do not repent and give up idle talk, will require an answer of each of us even for the words spoken emptily and in vain: I say unto you, that every word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment... for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matt. 12:36–37);
out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant (Luke 19:21).
