In the beginning was the WORD. My WORDS give life. You are clean because of my WORD. Man does not live on bread but on every WORD from God.
God speaks. So, we speak. Because of WHAT God spoke, it reshapes HOW we speak. In other words, we show we know God and His words by how we use words.
We often talk about stewarding our money and our time and our talents. I want to add that we should think about how we steward our words. There is a TON in Proverbs on how we use words. Which is to say there is a ton of teaching in this book on how to use words wisely. Let us improve the wisdom of our words.
USE MORE WISDOM
We should use more wisdom in our words. Proverbs 20:15 says, “Gold there is plenty, and rubies are in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.” God’s Word, especially Proverbs, commands us to use our words for wisdom. Turn to 5:2 with me. Then 10:13a, 20. Then 15:2, 7.
The key to wisdom on your lips is wisdom in your heart. Proverbs 16:23, says, “The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent.” Proverbs 23:15 says, “My son, if your heart is wise, my inmost being will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.” That’s why over and over throughout Proverbs the reader is pushed to “keep” and “store” the wisdom that is shared “in” their “hearts.” “My son, apply your heart to instruction” (23:12). “My son,” Proverbs 3:1 says, “keep my commands in your heart.” “Take hold of my words,” Proverbs 4:4 says, “with all your HEART.”
APPLICATION: Store up wisdom in your heart so that you will use more wisdom with your words. That means your heart has to treasure wisdom, and you have to hold onto that wisdom with your heart. Jesus said “Wherever your treasure is there your heart will also be.” Is wisdom your treasure? If so then your heart will be focused on it.
APPLICATION to the APPLICATION: Spend time taking in wisdom before trying to give it out. Proverbs 2:2-4 describe this very well….turn there with me.
Storing up wisdom in your heart means taking in wisdom. Before speaking, understand that listening – really listening – is key to learning. Take 2:2’s counsel and “turn your ear to wisdom.” If you do, your heart will fill with wisdom, and you will find that your mouth becomes a richer source of wisdom.
USE LESS WORDS
This rolls into our next point: Use Less Words. “The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves…” Proverbs 12:23 says. If we want to be more wise with our words we have to use less words. I know, you’re thinking, “Heal thyself, physician and shorten up these sermons!” But that’s not what Proverbs is talking about. Long sermons are very biblical, read Nehemiah 8 and Act 20! 🙂 The wisdom of using less words is brought out in a bunch of different ways. Let’s look at some.
First is just the broad idea of talking less. “Sin is not ended by multiplying words,” Proverbs 10:19 tells us, “but the prudent hold their tongues.” Proverbs 11:12 says, “The one who has understanding holds their tongue,” just like 21:23 says, “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” It calls to mind James 1:26, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight reign on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
Wisdom brings about a quietness. Foolishness brings about a constant blurting out. Proverbs 12:23 says, “The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves but the heart of fools blurt out folly.” The Hebrew word for blurt is “proclaim” or “cry out loudly with a loud sound.” Its like wisdom doesn’t blurt itself out to everyone, it waits quietly, contently, for others to seek it out. Fools want to flog everyone with their foolishness. Turn with me to 17:27-28, one of my favorites that I find so instructive in my own life….[READ]
I would balance this out by saying we should not confuse this with the fear of ever saying anything. That is weakness, not wisdom. Wisdom knows when to speak and we have to have the courage to do it.
Second, using less words means listening more. Turn to Proverbs 18:13. You can learn so much by just being quiet and paying intentional attention. But we so often aren’t trying to understand others, but rather EXPRESS ourselves. That’s why we answer before listening as the verse says. That includes “listening” but anxiously waiting for our chance to jump in and say what we want to say, not really engage what the other person is saying. That’s when we’re acting more like Proverbs 18:2….[READ]
Thirdly, it is wise to be slow to speak. The wisdom of using less words means being slow to speak. For instance, turn with me to Proverbs 15:28…[read]. Its like the NT book of Proverbs, often called James. In James 1:19 we are told, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Our Lord Himself gave us His own example to follow. What was He like, but a “like a sheep before her shearers he was silent. He did not open his mouth.” (Isa 53). Or, “When they hurled insults at Him,” 1 Peter 2 says, “He did not retaliate.”
Fourthly, using less words means don’t vent/unload in your anger. Turn to Proverbs 29:11 with me …. [read] “Full vent.” It’s a picture of no self-control, of full throttle rage. 12:18 with me….[read]. Saying something carelessly, or in the heat of your emotions, or selfishly, or without thought to how our words could affect someone else is foolish. The wise are careful with their words, not reckless. The wise use their words to heal, not recklessly hurt. It’s like 14:3 which says, “A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride…”
Wisdom is seen in the opposite: restraint of their passions.
Fifth, using less words would include avoiding gossip. Lets talk less if talking more means gossip. Turn to 18:8 with me, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” Gossip is divisive. Turn to 16:28 “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” The antidote is love, which means to NOT repeat a matter, as 17:9 says, “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense. But whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Gossip is unloving, divisive, and destructive to relationships. Not only are we to avoid gossip ourselves, but we ought not keep company with gossips, as Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence, so avoid anyone who talks too much.” So don’t be the person others should avoid, and avoid those who do make a habit of offering “choice morsels.”
CONCLUSION: CONFESSING SIN IS WISE
For today, we’ll finish with the point that Confessing Sin is Wise. Join me at Proverbs 28:13…