Proverbs 10.31-32
“The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.”
Here is another passage that addresses our talk. Clearly the scriptures place an enormous, repeated emphasis on paying attention to what we say.
The Hebrew word for “bring forth” is nub, and it carries the idea of “grow or prosper or thrive.” The message is that faithful people use their words to grow and cultivate wisdom not only in themselves, but also in others.
This is a great picture, and it challenges all of us to use our words to grow and cultivate wisdom in others. Of course, it must first start within us. We will not encourage and grow wisdom in others if we are not passionately pursuing wisdom in our own hearts.
It’s a core principle: If it isn’t happening in you, it won’t happen through you.
Words are very powerful things. Keep in mind that you have both an inner voice and an outer voice. Your inner voice is a powerful force in your life, and you must take ownership of it. You can talk to yourself with discipline (directed by your new nature in Christ), or you can talk to yourself on default (directed by your old sin nature).
The default voice is dangerous because it is quick, careless, convincing, and convenient.
- Quick. It happens fast, often before you have had a chance to think about it.
- Careless. It wants you to act without thinking. It doesn’t care about precision, patience, or perspective.
- Convincing. It can be very persuasive. It often feels good.
- Convenient. It is easily accessible. It takes very little skill or effort.
Don’t listen to yourself on default. Instead, talk to yourself with discipline. Focus on what is right and true, then communicate with others in a way that encourages and cultivates wisdom.
