Speaking, Listening

Proverb 10: 19 – 21

When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable, but one who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver, the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of understanding.

This is an intriguing, if a bit frightening, bit of scripture. There is definitely good news here, but there is a warning as well.

This passage makes me want to not speak because with many words we find the snare. Clearly the advice is to restrain from saying all that we might. However, there is another part of this. The lips of the righteous feed. So, speaking in wisdom, speaking the words of the Father is like manna from heaven, in fact it is manna and feeds the multitudes.

Sometimes we don’t listen to the words of wisdom offered us. We die for lack of understanding. Even today, we may be dying spiritually, emotionally, or even physically because we have failed to recognize the words of wisdom. Worse yet, sometimes we ignore wisdom and that is what I find most frightening personally and frustrating professionally.

All the pastors who receive this will relate to the latter part of that last statement. A pastor’s heart grieves seeing the beloved sheep wander aimlessly, not heeding the master’s voice. I have lived that so many times, watching someone hurt knowing I have an answer. It grieves the heart. Knowing this, living this truth causes me to wonder how often I fail to hear or fail to follow the words of my Lord and Father. How horrible is their grief watching me wander from the path cleared and ordained for me?

There is so much packed in this passage. Are you the person who speaks when they should hold? Are you the one who shows wisdom in your restraint? Perhaps you are like choice silver in your words. At the end of the day, we may also ask ourselves if we are foolish in our failure to follow wisdom. Do we fail to recognize wisdom when our blessed Father sends His words to us in the mouth of a person?

This passage offers many opportunities for fear: fear that we talk too much, fear that we are not hearing Him speak to us, fear that we fail to recognize His voice in the words of another person. However, there is no fear under the sun (or son) that has power over you because Jesus is Lord of it all and hallelujah for that. Take a deep breath and exhale and as you do, say, “Abba” because your Father is listening to your breath, your heart, and your words right now. He is waiting to quell all your fears and to lead you upon the right path that being called, the path of rightness or as we know it, the path of righteousness. They are all the same. It is the path which He has already prepared for you. He will guide your words and anoint your ears. Listen, beloved, for the Lord is speaking to you right now.