I fight a battle every day. It is a battle with my tongue. How easy it is for me to spill everything I am thinking, tell everything I know, give my insight to the situations around me, or share my feelings about any and everything. Often it’s only after I’ve talked that I remember the wisdom in Proverbs on the tongue.
One passage I’m memorizing and trying to apply is Proverbs 17:27, 28 – “He that hath wisdom spareth his words, and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirt. Even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” My interpretation of this passage is, if you want people to think your wise, be quiet! Another quote that had to be taken from this passage is, “It is better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!”
Wisdom is not talking often. Being quiet, as I Thessalonians 4:11 – “And that you study to be quiet…” – it is a learned thing; it doesn’t come naturally for most of us. Too often I spew off – sharing my thoughts, my disgust, my frustration, my opinion. That kind of temperament is not demonstrating an “excellent spirit” (good character). Even when I feel someone is wrong about something, it is my responsibility to pray for them. If they need to be set straight, God can reveal that to them far better than I can!
So today as I fight the battle with my tongue I pray I’ll do it with my lips closed more than open – revealing wisdom instead of foolishness!
RefreshHer 