Whispering Morsels

For Friday, June 23, 2006
Proverbs 18:8

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.

Such is the danger of the whispering tongue. We are enticed by it. We like hearing secrets "confided" in us. We like being in the know, of being brought into the inner circle. But those words go into our "inner parts." We mull over them, and they begin to seep into our unconscious and eventually conscious thoughts. We become distrustful of the people we have heard about; we worry over the inside information we've been given. Other's reputations are tarnished in our minds. Complainers whisper their complaints, and before we know what is happening, we become complainers.

We need to learn how to say no when the whisperer comes around. We need to walk out of the room. We need to understand that the persons hurt the most by whispering are us, the listeners. The whispers go down with a delicious taste, but the poison the soul.

Snare to One's Soul

For Thursday, June 22, 2006
Proverbs 18:7

A fool's mouth is his ruin,
and his lips are a snare to his soul.

By his mouth the fool shows lack of wisdom and thus loses the respect of others. He irritates others with his thoughtless remarks; he offends; he makes himself a bore; he betrays confidences; twists the words of others; shows arrogance; stirs up trouble. And all the while is troubled that he does not get a fair hearing!

Sometimes a fool can tell the truth, but because he has developed a reputation of a fool he will not be believed. His mouth has become his ruin. He grows in resentment; he turns to other fools who will hear him. And thus his lips become a snare to his soul as he leaves the path of life and wanders into the way of the wicked.

If you have a history of getting into trouble because of your mouth, do whatever you must do now to control your tongue. Seek accountability with respected brothers and sisters; read books on the subject; seek counsel from those known for their good speech. Do it now; do not put off getting help, for your tongue is a snare for your soul; it will bring you to ruin. James 3:9 warns of those who with the same tongue bless God and curse those made in the image of God. This is not to be taken lightly.

Fighting Words

For Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Proverbs 18:6

A fool's lips walk into a fight,
and his mouth invites a beating.

What a funny proverb and so true! The fool will even be warned. "You're asking for it. You'd better stop talking." But he won't stop. He must rant and rave; he keeps provoking, keeps sounding off until the listener either literally or figuratively gives him his beating.

Why does the fool invite punishment? Because he is caught up in himself. He has worked himself into a fit and it feels good to vent. He loves the sound of his voice and cannot see the real effect his words are having. He likes hearing himself talk more than being heard. He does not consider how to communicate; he simply wants to make sound.

The exasperating part of it all is that he does not understand why he received a violent reaction. He blames the listener for being impatient or mean or unjust or a fool. "All I did was ask a question." "I was only trying to reason with him." "I don't know why he should get so upset." He does not learn from the reactions of others even when he develops a history of angering others. He blames bad luck with getting jobs that have difficult co-workers and bosses. His church is filled with problem people and leaders who don't care. His wife thinks only of herself and his children are moody. He does not make the connection between their behavior and his foolish speech.

We will all at times speak foolishly. Let us at least learn from our mistakes and develop the ability to listen to others.

Guilty?

For Monday, June 19, 2006
Proverbs 18:5

It is not good to be partial to the wicked
or to deprive the righteous of justice.

Surely we all agree. But then, how might we be guilty? By placing ourselves before God and others. We will ignore political policies that hurt others but either help us or at least do not harm us. We will avert our eyes when confronted by injustice if what is required of us is sacrifice or inconvenience. When our world is just that - "our" world - then right and wrong get redefined to what makes us feel comfortable or uncomfortable. We are partial to the wicked when we ignore their wickedness. We deprive the righteous of justice when we fail to strive for justice.

And then there are our actions. We are partial to the wicked when we speak like them and hurt others. We deprive the righteous of justice when we fail to speak well of them and encourage them. We must remember that the Judge of all the earth sees our every action (and inaction) and that his standards are far beyond human laws. What we consider trivial, he regards as great offenses or great deeds of kindness; and so much of what we think to be of great magnitude, he finds to be small.

All the more then, let us do the daily difficult work of examing our hearts before the Lord; and let us daily fall on the grace of God in Christ for forgiveness and for the power to live righteously to his glory.