Proverbs 12:18-22 – Right and Wrong Speech
Who has not felt the piercings of false, unkind, inconsiderate talk. Many speak so viciously who would be afraid to strike someone or use a knife against them. Our Lord Jesus Christ compares words spoken in anger and hatred to murder. (Matthew 5:21-22) But this same little tongue that can wound, is also powerful to heal. Wisdom can guide us in the use of our tongues, showing us when, how, and to whom to speak. We can use our words to speak of Christ, to tell of salvation, to worship God, to praise Him to others, to comfort the sad, encourage the tired, build-up other Christians, the list could go on and on. As we think about how God wants us to talk, using His Word where He speaks to us to guide us, we are using wisdom in our speech. And our speech is what will ultimately last, not the quick lies of others.
Solomon again traces the principle of deceit to its source – the heart. Even small children don’t need to be taught to lie, it comes naturally to them. Those who plot evil, though, find that the results are never what they expected. Instead of the quick and easy pleasure they planned for, their time is full of trouble. These deceitful hearts and evil plans come out in lying lips. And a lie takes many forms – it can be falsehood, exaggeration, changing bits of the truth to make it sound better, giving a wrong impression, misleading others, or just being careless with the truth. We have to train our children, we have to train ourselves to be scrupulously honest, honest in heart, honest in word, honest in deed, because the Lord detests lying lips. Christians are to speak of peace, peace between man and God through Jesus Christ the Saviour, and their hearts are full of joy because of what the Lord has done for them. No harm befalls them, but everything that happens, even the hard things, are for their good.
Questions
- What does Christ compare hateful words too?
- How can we train ourselves to be more honest?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would be honest in all we say and do.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.