This chapter begins ‘the proverbs of Solomon’, a series of sayings that offer great wisdom and challenges for reflection.
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.” (v11, 19-20, 31-32)
The Bible has much to say regarding speech and the words we use. Words have power. It is through words that God the Father created the heavens, blesses His people, and condemns evil. His speech has sovereign power over everything, and we are made in His image, giving our words power as well.
Our words don’t carry the same amount of power as God’s (which is a good thing), yet we can still encourage and discourage, love and hate, hurt and heal, praise our Lord and curse our neighbor with our choice of words (and tone). Proverbs is one of many books that reminds us of this truth (James is another book that emphasizes the power of our tongues).
I suggest we heed the proverbs of Solomon and warnings of James, and choose our words very carefully. I know from experience this is easier said than done, though it’s quite necessary in order to fully obey God and honor Him. By consistently choosing our words poorly we dishonor God, and offend our neighbor, rather than love them. Since we’ll never be able to tame our tongues on our own strength and wisdom, we must fully rely on God for this crucial skill.
Father God, our Glorious and Gracious Lord, we praise You, for You have spoken wisely since before time began. Your words have power, and so do ours. Spirit please help us to choose words carefully, and bless those around us with our tone. May we offer healing words and kindness when the world fails to do so. Please help our tongues to convey the love of Christ to everyone, from this day forward, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training