The Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:6 gave us a peculiar command and warning, one that sounds odd but is actually something we should all heed:

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

In this article we'll talk about what this command means and then quickly discuss a few ways to do it.

No dog food

The Lord Jesus, who frequently spoke in parables to teach people significant truths about God, gave an illustration regarding discretion and wisdom in dealing with others.

And by others, we mean people.

While the words "dogs" and "swine" might be offensive when we think of these as used to describe people, the Lord Jesus effectively teaches us to be discerning and careful in giving away what we ought to keep, particularly ideas, teachings, or beliefs.

He warned us that if we give away what we ought to keep private, it might backfire and be used for our harm.

He warned us that if we carelessly divulge details or things that aren't meant to be spread, it might affect us in a negative way.

• Insecure people might use our secrets as weapons to put us down.
• New or groundbreaking knowledge from God's Word might cause others to treat us wrongly.
• Resources, even finances, given to others might be used for our harm.

We should be discerning at all times!

To help you, dear reader, avoid giving away what you should not, here are a few things you can do.

1) Refrain from speaking

Some of us just can't stop talking. Worse, some of us think there's nothing wrong with being "open books" in front of others.

This is not good.

Friends, one of the best ways to avoid giving away what we ought to keep private is to simply refrain from talking. Proverbs 10:19 tells us,

"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise."

2) Choose to speak less and listen more

We ought to speak less, being careful to choose our words whenever we do. The Bible is very clear about this. James 1:19 tells us,

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath..."

3) Realize that what you say, do, or give can be used against you

If you're familiar with the line "anything you say can be used against you," then you know what I mean here.

We should all realize that our words can either build us up or destroy us. Proverbs 10:14 tells us,

"Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction."

We should all be careful to protect our testimony and our very lives.