That’s a master carpenter’s mantra, and it has saved a lot of time, stress, and money when heeded. I have ignored that advice before and suffered the consequences. When my cut is too long, that can more easily be rectified by trimming off the excess, although there is still, potentially, some waste in material involved. If the cut is too short, on the other hand, a lot of waste has occurred, unless there is use for the shorter piece. In either situation, time and effort is lost due to improper care and procedures.
This same principle may be applied to our words. I have often blurted out a reply to something that someone has spoken, without considering the consequences. This may lead to my words being misunderstood or misspoken, if they were said out of anger or some other emotion. Just as we should measure twice and cut once in carpentry, we should think twice and speak once in communication. That may not be an exact parallel, but it gets the point across.
God instructs us to guard our tongue for good reason. We can hurt, and even destroy people, with the words we speak. I can remember things that were said to me that affected me for many years. Often, we don’t even realize that we have spoken damaging words. I’m sure my words have hurt others, too. So, think twice and speak once, so that your words don’t cut others!
James 3:2 (NLT) - “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”