Proverbs 16.21, 23-24
“The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness … The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
The big message today: The greater your leadership responsibility in the organization or community, the greater the impact of your words.
Note that gracious, judicious, and persuasive speech comes from the heart of the wise. The wise person speaks with clarity and power. They encourage the hearts of others. Their words energize and motivate. Their words help and heal. Their words challenge and inspire.
The foolish person speaks from a foolish heart, and their words are therefore damaging and harmful. They seek to tear down, criticize, and manipulate. They don’t want to help, they want to hurt. Their words discourage, deceive, and do damage to others.
This is especially true in leadership!
“An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.” (Proverbs 16.10)
If you are in a position of leadership, think and pray deeply about this proverb. The immediate reference is to a king, but it applies to any leader in any organization. It is a description of what should be. It is not a description of what most leaders actually do; it is a description of what leaders should do.
The essential meaning is this: “Wise declarations and decisions are on the lips of a godly, effective leader. He does not make unwise judgments.”
When reading this verse, it is easy to go immediately to the unwise and contentious things said by politicians and pundits, and it certainly applies in that realm. Both the current president and former president would benefit greatly from heeding the advice of this proverb. Our nation has suffered greatly from the reckless and inflammatory declarations of both Trump and Biden.
The call of this verse is to represent God without compromise in your role as a leader at home, at work, in the community, and in the church. In all of those arenas, what you say and the decisions you make have great importance.
- It calls you to think deeply before you speak or render judgment.
- It calls you to know the Word of God, pray constantly, and seek wisdom.
- It calls you to be humble and not trust your first impulse or personal preference.
- It calls you to reject arrogance, and be sacrificial and selfless in the way you speak and lead.
- It calls you to be careful about what you say, why you say it, and how you say it.
- It calls you to consider that your words and decisions have consequences, so choose your words wisely!
Again, this verse is a sober reminder that the greater your leadership responsibility in the organization or community, the greater the impact of your words.
The Lord is calling.
