我們看到詩人讓自己不致跌倒所採取的第一個步驟是阻止自己說出想說的話。換句話說，他控制了自己的想法和衝動。

這是極其重要的一點。如果基督徒願意留意這一點，學習勒住自己的舌頭，便可以免除很多麻煩。如果我們所說的話傳達了主是不公平或不仁慈的訊息，尤其是當這些話出自資深基督徒的口，就有如木廠裡燃點了火星一樣的危險。詩人雖然疑惑，但卻看到自制的重要，這是一種有拯救作用的美德。

很多人經常說：「我不可能控制自己的言語，在我發覺自己說甚麼以前那些話已經從我口中出去了。」這當然是一派胡言，因為我們所說的話是自己選擇的結果。有時我們可能在言語上有失控的感覺，但那只是感覺而已。基督徒心理學家克萊布（Lawrence Crabb）博士告訴我們：「覺得沒有選擇並不表示真的沒有選擇。」正如我們常說，當你想要給別人「一句心裡話」的時候，你還是有那麼短短的一剎那，去選擇說還是不說。我們不能以舌頭不受控制為藉口。我們所做的乃是出於自己的選擇。詩人雖然有很多疑惑和困難，但是他選擇了控制自己的舌頭。這是你也可以做得到的事。

We are seeing that the first step the psalmist took to save himself from falling was stopping himself from saying what was on the tip of his tongue. In other words, he took himself in hand.

This is an extremely important issue. What a lot of heartache would be saved if Christians would take heed to this and learn to put a bridle on their tongues. Expressions which convey the idea that the Lord acts unjustly or unkindly, especially if they fall from the lips of men and women who have a long experience in the Christian life, are as dangerous as sparks in a timber factory. Despite his doubts, the psalmist recognised the importance of self-discipline, and that proved to be a saving virtue.

People sometimes claim: "It is impossible for me to control what I say. It slips out before I realise what I've said." This is non-sense, of course, for what we say is the result of what we choose to say. Sometimes we may feel as though we have no control over what we say, but that is all it is - a feeling. Dr Lawrence Crabb, a Christian psychologist, tells us: "The loss of felt choice does not mean the loss of real choice." When you give a person "a piece of your mind", as we say, there is always a moment, albeit a split second, when you can choose to speak out or stay quiet. We cannot hide behind the excuse that our tongue is not under our control. What we do is what we choose to do. The psalmist, though beset by many doubts and difficulties, chose to control his tongue - and so can you.