The world since Eden fell—cutthroat, crooked, cursed.”
–Jeremy TK Farley (The Gospel According to Texas)
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
–Romans 3:13-14 (NIV)
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“The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little.
The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.”
–Proverbs 10:20-21(NKJV)
Here we have another Proverb dealing with the tongue and the fool. “Choice silver,” does that describe the words that come from your mouth? We should be speaking properly and bringing “spiritual nourishment” to our listeners. Bob Beasley says, “Our tongues should be of choice silver in speaking of the eternal nourishment He gives through His body and His blood.” Dan Dick adds to this, “When words of truth are spoken from the heart, they reach out to people to give them a rich blessing.”
Cursings, taking the Lord’s name in vain, yes and that includes “Oh my God,” babblings, profanity, these words should never be found coming from the Christian. Yet, so many just laugh it off as if it is normal. If we are born again, cursing is not normal! Truly we should be speaking words of silver that encourage, edify, and comfort others. When we speak it should be out of sincerity, not cursing, mocking, sarcastic, or being snide.
Sincerity–it is one of those character traits that is being seen less and less. To be sincere means to be honest, genuine, free of deceit or pretense. Barnabas was known as the Son of Encouragement, when he spoke the words were filled with encouragement and sincerity. The world looks at what is said to gain something, or in other words use the Machiavellian thought, “the end justifies the means.” Say what you want, as long as you get what you want. This is a false practice and it is for selfish gain or vindictive purposes. “The due and proper use of any natural faculty or power is to be judged of the end and design for which it was given us,” (Joseph Butler) not to fulfill our lusts and passions.
We can either exhort or tear down; encourage or slander. Know that we are to be Christ’s Ambassadors as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (NIV) As an ambassador we speak the words of the One who sent us. We are His representatives on earth, our words are to be His words, to uplight, to speak truth, to reach the lost. William Arnot proclaims, “The bread of life which the disciples distribute is not like common bread. The more you give of it to the needy, the more remains for your own use.”
One day, the tongues of the peoples of the world will be cleansed. One day they will speak only the truth, and will be uplifting. Zephaniah states, “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (3:9, NIV). Until that day, we will continue to see the fool die for his lack of wisdom. Mouths will run, shame will flow from them, mockery will sneer in the face of good. Now, there will be the Kimmels who mock the wife of the President saying that she has the glow of a widow. I will say, mock now, for there is a day when the mocking will cease. Someone has translated verse 21 this way, “A good person’s words will benefit many people, but you can kill yourself with stupidity.” The fool is heading down a dark path, and know this, the speech of a person marks them.
—————————-
“The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little.
The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.”
–Proverbs 10:20-21(NKJV)
Here we have another Proverb dealing with the tongue and the fool. “Choice silver,” does that describe the words that come from your mouth? We should be speaking properly and bringing “spiritual nourishment” to our listeners. Bob Beasley says, “Our tongues should be of choice silver in speaking of the eternal nourishment He gives through His body and His blood.” Dan Dick adds to this, “When words of truth are spoken from the heart, they reach out to people to give them a rich blessing.”
Cursings, taking the Lord’s name in vain, yes and that includes “Oh my God,” babblings, profanity, these words should never be found coming from the Christian. Yet, so many just laugh it off as if it is normal. If we are born again, cursing is not normal! Truly we should be speaking words of silver that encourage, edify, and comfort others. When we speak it should be out of sincerity, not cursing, mocking, sarcastic, or being snide.
Sincerity–it is one of those character traits that is being seen less and less. To be sincere means to be honest, genuine, free of deceit or pretense. Barnabas was known as the Son of Encouragement, when he spoke the words were filled with encouragement and sincerity. The world looks at what is said to gain something, or in other words use the Machiavellian thought, “the end justifies the means.” Say what you want, as long as you get what you want. This is a false practice and it is for selfish gain or vindictive purposes. “The due and proper use of any natural faculty or power is to be judged of the end and design for which it was given us,” (Joseph Butler) not to fulfill our lusts and passions.
We can either exhort or tear down; encourage or slander. Know that we are to be Christ’s Ambassadors as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (NIV) As an ambassador we speak the words of the One who sent us. We are His representatives on earth, our words are to be His words, to uplight, to speak truth, to reach the lost. William Arnot proclaims, “The bread of life which the disciples distribute is not like common bread. The more you give of it to the needy, the more remains for your own use.”
One day, the tongues of the peoples of the world will be cleansed. One day they will speak only the truth, and will be uplifting. Zephaniah states, “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (3:9, NIV). Until that day, we will continue to see the fool die for his lack of wisdom. Mouths will run, shame will flow from them, mockery will sneer in the face of good. Now, there will be the Kimmels who mock the wife of the President saying that she has the glow of a widow. I will say, mock now, for there is a day when the mocking will cease. Someone has translated verse 21 this way, “A good person’s words will benefit many people, but you can kill yourself with stupidity.” The fool is heading down a dark path, and know this, the speech of a person marks them.