September 19, Proverbs 15
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
- Proverbs 15:4
Does your mouth ever get you into trouble? Do you struggle with controlling your tongue? Do your words often put a strain on your relationships with others? Is your Bible like mine, tear-stained at James 3, that passage about taming the tongue? I ask because I’d hate to think I’m all alone in this struggle.
Maybe you’ve heard something I heard quite a few times growing up: “It wasn’t so much what you said, but how you said it that got you into trouble.” I guess my family and school teachers were just too sensitive. No, I think you and I both know that was not the problem. I’m all grown-up now, but I realize I still have to watch my tone of voice and choose what I say with care.
The Proverbs are pearls of wisdom that offer guidance to people who are willing to learn. The subjects are just as modern and relevant today as ever. For all the “progress” we’ve made as a race, we’re very much the same as people in Solomon’s day. We still need admonition about anger management and sexual temptation. The warnings about laziness and greed still apply. We moderns need just as much (maybe even more) encouragement to trust God, to listen to him and do what he says for our own good.
Quite a few of the words in Proverbs address the power of the words we speak. From the number of references to our words, mouth and tongue in Proverbs (at least seven in this chapter alone), I suppose our ancient ancestors had the same struggles with controlling their tongues. The power of speech may be good, wholesome and healing. It may also be bad, toxic and wounding. Consider this trio of verses from today’s reading: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger….A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit…. A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” (Proverbs 15:1, 4, 18).
How many times have you proved these words to be true, at least on the negative side of the comparisons? Have you experienced the inflammatory power of answering rude or hateful comments with the same type of words? Bickering quickly escalates into bitter quarrels. Shouting matches have preceded quite a few shooting incidents. I remember an event from my childhood in Anniston where the best barbecue man in town was killed in a quarrel that got out of hand. The men were fighting over $1.00. Even if no blood is spilled or life lost, hateful exchanges often leave the participants with painful emotional wounds.
I hope we’ve also had some experience with the power and beauty of the positive side of watching our words. Have you known the joy of helping defuse a volatile situation by remaining calm and being the voice of reason when confronted with anger? Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). Have you been blessed to be the peacemaker, or at least to be blessed by one? Have you been blessed to be able to calm down a tense exchange of words? I hope you have.
Do your words make your relationships tense and volatile, or smooth and peaceful? Does what you say in a conversation make the situation better or worse? We can’t control what the other party says, but these verses suggest we’d better keep close watch on what we say, and ask God to grant us grace to do as he says.
Copyright © 2021 by Michael B. McElroy. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—September 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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