“31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be silenced.
32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,
but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
”
A short and sweet reflection this Good Friday morning.
Seventeen times in this Proverb Solomon refers to what comes from our mouths. From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced. I am reminded of Jesus teaching in Matthew 12:34, “for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
We are betrayed by our words always; they give away what our hearts believe and what our minds are consumed with. This is why the Apostle Paul says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
This is wisdom!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Where do you struggle the most to control what comes out of your mouth? How do you know when it is time to speak and when to remain silent? How do we teach our kids to guard their words? Share your thoughts below.