Walk of Life – Day 8 – November 2020, Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs

Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. Proverbs 8:6

These are the words of wisdom. As a child of God, we must speak excellent things, and open our  lips to speak right things. Words are what eventually define us. I will never know what you think but I will know you by what you speak, could be both the spoken word and the written word. The Bible has so many references defining exactly how our speech should be.

Excellence…the Bible says Daniel had an excellent spirit. I strongly believe that Daniel’s excellence was in the way he presented himself, his walk, his talk, his intelligence, his personality, his strong faith in God, his value system, and so on. A famous quote goes “The children of the king will speak the language of the court. ” Our speech must be seasoned with salt and we need to speak about excellent things not petty matters. I had a very close friend who passed away when she was quite young, but in that short life, one thing that stood out was she would never speak ill of others. Even if we were discussing a message and genuinely sometimes preachers tend to repeat, I have never heard her saying anything bad or ill about the person or the sermon. She would rather interpret the verses in the right manner and present it than speak ill about someone. She spoke gracious words and truly that defined her.

“Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become deeds. Watch your deeds. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Character is everything.”

“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Mathew 7:15 – 20

The logic is very simple…your words must match your heart and your thoughts. If your words are empty words or flattering words or slandering words, it will affect those around you as well as ultimately will scar your character. Also, your words need to become action. There are lot of people who say a hundred things but would never do them. It would be all empty promises with no weight at all. Once or twice, we would believe them. However, automatically from the third or fourth time, you would never take them at their word as they never keep their word. Excellence in speech also calls for trustworthiness, words that do what they say!

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Mathew 7:21

It is very Important to THINK before I speak…Are my words TRUE, HELPFUL, INSPIRING, NECESSARY, and KIND?

If my words do not qualify in even one of these categories, it is always better to not speak. When the Lord Jesus spoke, his hearers confessed “No man ever spake like this man”. Also when he was taken before the high priest for trial, the same Jesus chose to NOT speak a word. Wisdom personified in the Lord Jesus, the fountainhead of all wisdom. His words brought life, strength, healing, comfort, calm, and silenced the enemy.

“Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

 How to speak excellence like the Lord Jesus?

• Understand your audience. – The Lord Jesus spoke differently to each person, his approach to the Samaritan woman was different from his approach to the adulterous woman who was to be stoned. He spoke strongly to the scribes and Pharisees, he drove out the money changers, yet the very same Christ could be compassionate to the Mary and Martha sisters or the widow in Nain.  Speak life and healing to a soul in need not a sermon.
• Empathize with your audience – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin. Heb 4:15. It is important to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes while speaking. Are my words kind and compassionate and do they fit the situation the hearer is in. I cannot go to a slum and preach Christ without first meeting their physical basic needs.
• Speak with the leading of the Holy Spirit – The Lord should put His words in your mouth. You need to receive the word from God and then pass it on to others
• Believe in your words yourself. This will ensure that people listen to you. Command respect, do not demand respect. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:28-29).
• Questions are one of the best ways of engaging your audience and more specifically they should be questions asked on love. Questions lead people to their own answers. “Where is your faith?” Luke 8:25. When the person answers himself, there is more honesty and more ownership. “The WISE speak because they have something to say, the FOOLISH speak because they have to say something. Always try to be in the former group.”