19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. (Pro 10:19 NIV)
28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. (Pro 17:28-1 ESV)
For the next few weeks, some of us on staff are going to talk about our favorite Proverbs. I hope to go more in depth in the book Proverbs through a sermon series in the fall of 2015. A famous evangelist in South America, Luis Palau, once spoke of the benefit he received in reading one chapter of Proverbs every day of every month. (Yes, some months you can’t read them all!). There is a wealth of practical information for life in Proverbs.
For this week, I chose two Proverbs with similar themes. “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” As a person who tends to the verbose, both in personal conversation and public speaking, this is a great warning. The more we speak, the greater the opportunity for the sins of our hearts to peek through: our greed, lust, anger and pride (among many others). Think of all you learn about a person in short one-hour conversation. Are they profane in their speech? Are they bitter, and it comes out in their speech? Are they a blessing to others, full of words of encouragement? Would I enjoy having another hour with them? Do they gossip, revealing trusted communication to another so as to gain some standing or advantage?
Of course, reflection on this might lead us to repentance and restoration. We acknowledge how often we sin with our words, and ask God for cleansing and forgiveness. We might in prayer and meditation ask God to reveal the deep issues of our heart that drive these sinful words.
Proverbs 17:28 picks up on the other end of this rope - the quiet person is often considered the wisest. This is so true that a foolish person (alienated from God and living apart from him) can be mistaken for a wise person. There is value in silence: in listening, seeking understanding, and holding your tongue.
We live in a generation where “saying what you think” is often foolishly overvalued. There are many things you think which should never come out of your mouth. A wise person knows this. One who fears the Lord asks Him for wisdom. A wise person asks for God to create a clean heart in him, so the words that come forth are words of praise for God and testimony of God’s faithfulness to others. We are often mistaken about things. We feel anger within and want to spout off and be “authentic”. But when we have all the facts, and see ourselves wisely, we would be better off if we had held our tongue.
I love these Proverbs not only because they are God’s words and wise, but because too often I’ve found out the hard way why they are in our Bibles!
Have a great week!
Don