Proverbs 31 is a summary of the entire book of Proverbs condensed into twenty-one verses. So it's no surprise that the passage mentions that a wise person uses wise words. Proverbs 31:26 says, "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." While this means that she does not gossip or slander, it also means that she uses her words wisely for faithful instruction. Not for idle chit chat, but for instruction. It also means that her words are calming. Her words bring joy to others hearts. Her words do not demean, but encourage. Her words are not said in haste and anger, but with love and patience.
I find that at times the tone of my words says a lot more than the words themselves.When repeating the same instructions I have already given two times before, my words may be the same, but my tone can take a sharp edge. Or when trying to win an argument I become more concerned with getting my point across than with how my words are affecting the other person.
It is the words spoken to us that resonate in our soul longer than anything else can. The old saying,"Sticks and Stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me," is a lie. Words hurt worse than any physical pain. Words spoken in anger, hurt,and sarcasm seem to have sticking power far longer than words spoken in love, patience, and joy.
What a world it would be if we learned to speak words of wisdom and faithful instruction. Our children would grow up without the weight of carelessly tossed words. Our spouses would never feel the bite of our sarcasm.
A person of wisdom knows that their words have a powerful impact on the people around them. And they choose wisely the words and the tone in which they are spoken.
No comments:
Post a Comment