Reflections on Speaking Wisely According to Proverbs
Proverbs says, “a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (25.11). What a goal to work toward for those who value wisdom communicated through words! As I continue to hone my teaching and writing skills, I fantasize about changing lives through my words. What a joy to watch someone experience that “aha” moment, where the light turns on and suddenly the world looks different, knowing it was because I said the right thing at the right time! Like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
In order to have this impact, words must come from wisdom, the main topic of Proverbs. In all aspects of our lives, we strive to be in the “wise” category, those who fear the Lord and find life, or who live rightly towards a good end. Wisdom is contrasted by the fools who walk steadily toward their own destruction. One way to become wise is to speak rightly because words are more valuable and powerful than we know, and we know our hearts by the words that come from it.
Another Proverbs teaches, “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence” (10.11). The wicked, or the Fools, are always on the defensive with their words. Out of fear, they speak in slander, in deceit. There is an attack behind what they say because pride and malice rule in their hearts, and the power behind their words is a destructive one. In juxtaposition is the words of the righteous, or the Wise, whose words contain the power of life. Because “the wise” is synonymous with “the humble” in Proverbs, they have no need for self-defensiveness. The truth is not a threat to the wise, so they speak it without fear. They are ruled by love and peace, and from this fountain flow words of life.
This does not mean the wise never rebuke. Proverbs exhorts all to accept discipline because discipline guides away from the house of Folly and to the welcoming house of Wisdom. Though they are painful to the fool, the firm words of discipline are life itself. They mend and build up. As Proverbs instructs, “Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (12.18). The wicked cut down with their speech, but the wise builds up for the sake of the other person. Only the fool talks just to hear himself, enticing others into his foolishness, but the wise know that each word should be an intentional choice, rich with meaning and love.
Too often we toss around words like they are nothing more than sounds the tongue strings together. We think they need to fill time because silence is too oppressive, and before we know it, the space between us is cluttered with ugly adornments and unintended pain because of a badly placed word. Words do not float around like a feather in the wind; they fly straight to the heart and cut deep. Since our way of pursuing wisdom and even our way of life inherently involves the constant exchange of words, consider: Is your speech the rash, fearful words of the fool? Or the lifegiving, valuable words of the wise? Either way, it holds power.
So let us offer words to one another as a lover leaves a note for his beloved. Let us consider and keep watch over ourselves so that instead of putting up defenses like the prideful fools, we invite others to drink deeply from the well of life like the humble wise. Let us live well with the end in mind: true kingdom living. Let us choose words carefully, lavishing truth on others. Let us practice the hospitality of Wisdom, opening wide our arms with speech that communicates love with each sound formed, for “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body” (16.24).
Hopeful Wanderer 