Beautiful Summer Evenings!

Let’s Watch our Words!

By Helen Jesze, 2020

“The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit,”

Proverbs 5, 4 NIV

“Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs,”

Proverbs 18, 4 Message Bible

“The words of a fool start fights; do him a favour and gag him,”

Proverbs 18, 4 Message Bible

This morning I was reading in my Bible about Wisdom, and meditating particularly about wisdom in our speech. There are many verses about this in the Bible, showing that God finds it extremely important. Words are spoken and words are written. At one time (and occasionally now!) we used to write letters; now most of us use email to communicate with people. This is so quick and convenient, no taking the letter to the Post, getting stamps, waiting for days for it to arrive and then more days for an answer, while an email can be in the person’s Inbox within seconds.

Yet this very advantage of speed can be also our undoing and bring us problems, as we often dash off an email without much thought. If we had taken time to think or pray about this, we might not have sent the email, but now it is too late, and it has caused damage in relationships or given an unwise answer.

I read about a man who wanted to teach his son a lesson, as he was often disobedient and told lies. So he put a large covered china dish on the table and told his son that he must not touch that dish, as it was very special. Then he went away and left the little boy alone in the room. At first the boy did nothing, but he often looked at the dish, then after a while he went to the table and lifted off the lid. A gust of wind blew from the open window and soon there were soft, white things flying around the room – the dish had been full of feathers!

Our words are like those feathers. Once let loose they can do a great deal of damage and it is so difficult, often impossible, to get them back. James 1, 19 says: “…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…”. It has been said we have two ears and only one mouth, because we should hear and listen more than we speak! So often we speak but we are not communicating. Our words may be spoken thoughtlessly and the listener may be understanding a completely different message than the one we want to convey. Are we speaking clearly enough in our choice of words, our manner, or are we saying something that could be understood in different ways?

There are people who say, “That’s just my nature! I can’t help it! With me, what you see is what you get, and I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!” I think the reply once was, “You have given so many pieces away, that’s why you haven’t got much left!” It is easier for the people whose nature it is to speak slower, but the ones who speak quickly find it harder to think before they speak.

“Post a guard at my mouth, God. Set a watch at the door of my lips,”

Psalm 141, 3 Message Bible

We have spoken a lot about negative words, but how healing, comforting, inspiring, rewarding can good words be! One evening, my husband, George, had been preaching in a church, and he felt he had not got his message across, and the people were unresponsive. As he was coming down from the platform, a small boy came up to him and said, “You did well tonight!” Immediately he felt encouraged, and was able to leave the result with the Lord. He had given his best and had done his part. Now it was up to the hearers and the Holy Spirit. Well done, little boy, for your kind words!

A river in flood rushes along and takes rubbish and everything in its path with it, while artesian springs come up from the depths, pure and natural, bringing life, health and refreshment. Proverbs 18, 4 tells us that wisdom or words of wisdom are like this, God’s wisdom not the knowledge or wisdom of Man. Very often a person looks alright on the outside and as though they have it altogether, but we do not know the struggles they may be going through. Our friendly words and smile may make all the difference and brighten their day, change their decision, make them feel that Life is worth living after all!

Let’s try it out on somebody today!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, let my words be sweet and constructive today! Let them be uplifting and encouraging, full of pearls of wisdom and not foolishness. Make me into a person that others want to be around, not somebody who starts fights and whom others want to gag! Help me to highly prize your wisdom and to seek it out, in my speech and every area of my life. Let me be quick to listen and slow to speak. Thank you for your forgiveness for the many times where I have not done this. With your help, I will make a new start today!
In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen!