Proverbs
13:3----He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide
his lips shall have destruction.
Proverbs 17:27-28---Even
a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his
lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Today there
seems to be an effort to speak the most words and dominate any conversation. I
have often listened to conversations in which two people speak at the same
time, as if they were vying for airtime. Does our society consider the silent
one to be the wise one? It seems the one who gets his point across the clearest
and most convincingly is considered the winner. But does it matter how it
seems? Ultimately, for you to come to a correct conclusion, an understanding of
God's view is really the important thing. Do you find yourself falling into our
cultural norm of saying too much and then wishing you'd shown more restraint?
The proverbs we are considering today teach that guarding our lips is guarding
our very life. It is the man of knowledge who shows restraint. One appropriate
word can demolish an edifice built by a thousand rash words. Restraint gives
you time to consider the validity of what is said and to search out any faults
in an argument. Language has a number of patterns that are designed to build a
case. Many of them have flaws that are easily pointed out. The Holy Spirit can
show them to you if you are listening. If you are trying to speak just to make your
point, you will miss that quiet voice of the Spirit. There is nothing wrong with
saying nothing and speaking another day after considering the matter. You don't
have to win every discussion. Consider: We have two ears and one mouth. Does
that tell us something about the ratio in which they should be used?
No comments:
Post a Comment