In the midst of gatherings with friends and family and co-workers, this prayer of David’s remains one that all of us should give attention to:

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.

But my mind goes beyond the holiday table. For me, the delicacies of social media present a much greater temptation. In that realm I notice few guards when it comes to civil speech. Even when I refuse to comment, I find the buzz of back and forth arguments and name-calling compelling. I get drawn in, wandering the sideshow as I scroll along.

With head bowed to my phone, I find the angst in my spirit start to rise. I cannot solve whatever issue is being bandied about, but I can stew on it. Or, I enjoy the titillation of scandals with powerful people taking a hit. I’m entertained, even though I don’t know them or their true situation or if they’re really guilty or just suffering the wrath of an internet mob.

So for me, set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the doorway of my lips remains an indispensable prayer. I should pray this every day.

But when my belly craves the junk food of social media, then more urgently I need to plead, Lord, keep me from the delicacies strewn across the world wide web that draw my heart away from you.

Psalm 141 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Annie Spratt