Who's Got Your Tongue?
Proverbs 12:17-25
The tongue of the wise promotes health. (Proverbs
12:18)
It’s been estimated that a
talkative person may speak 30,000 words a day! But the important question
is, how do our words, whether many or few, affect others?
A Greek philosopher asked
his servant to cook the best dish possible. The servant, who was very
wise, prepared a dish of tongue, saying, “It’s the best of all dishes,
for it reminds us that we may use the tongue to bless and express happiness,
dispel sorrow, remove despair, and spread cheer.”
Later the servant was asked
to cook the worst dish possible. Again, he prepared a dish of tongue,
saying, “It’s the worst dish, for it reminds us that we may use the
tongue to curse and break hearts, destroy reputations, create strife, and
set families and nations at war.”
We don’t have to eat tongue
to grasp that servant’s point. But we may have to “eat our own words”
quite often before we learn to avoid saying things we’d like to retract.
Solomon wrote: “The tongue of the wise promotes
health” (Proverbs 12:18). It affirms and encourages others. The key word
in that verse isn’t tongue but wise. The tongue is not in control, but
the person behind it is.
If you want your tongue to
build people up and not tear them down, ask God to make you wise.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, give me the wisdom to speak at the
right places. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Wisdom is knowing when to speak your mind and when
to mind your speech.
Christian
Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church
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