Sometimes people want to say something to a friend, but chicken out at the last minute because they think it might be silly or embarrassing. Often, they later regret not saying it. What does God think about such situations?

Proverbs 25:11 states: “A word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray.” We all know the value of gold and silver, even if we can’t afford them. We also know how sweet to the taste apples are. How valuable and how sweet to our souls would apples of gold be? Certainly they would have great value, especially when served to us on fine silver.

For individuals striving to live with integrity, honesty is always the best policy. But some will argue that oftentimes it’s better to say nothing rather than allow the harsh truth to be spoken. Shaun Alexander is one of those people who err on the side of caution when it comes to the words he speaks.

But that wasn’t always the case for the Seattle Seahawks’ running back. In fact, it wasn’t long ago that Alexander would answer every media question with brutal honesty, no matter what kind of fallout his response might cause.