Tag Archives: Proverb15

Proverbs 15 – August 15

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0815 - AbeProverbs 15
Author: James German

Abraham Lincoln had a few words to say about how we speak to one another.  He said “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”   I wonder if good ‘ol Abe had been reading Proverbs 15 when he coined that phrase.  Proverbs 15:2 says “…The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly…”  President Lincoln’s advice seems to follow the writer’s thoughts in Proverbs 15.  One of the most powerful tools known to mankind is the tongue.  It can certainly be used to build each other up.  But in this day and age, it seems to be a tool of destruction.  Whether spoken or typed on a social media site, our spoken work has the ability to produce fruit….or the ability to cause great destruction in our relationships.

The writer also speaks of the concept of “discipline”.  “Those who disregard discipline despise themselves.  But the one who heeds correction gains understanding.”  Are we disciplined enough as a people of God to heed instruction and gain understanding when it comes to disciplining our tongue?  Are our words “building others up” or are they “tearing others down”?

I challenge you to read Proverbs 15 again and commit yourselves to taming your tongue.  Use social media to be SALT and LIGHT for God’s kingdom.  And remember our 16th president’s advice.  Better to remain silent…

Proverbs 15 – June 15

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CC Image courtesy of Alan English CPA on Flickr.

CC Image courtesy of Alan English CPA on Flickr.

Proverbs 15
Author: Randy Wiseman

I still remember Mrs. Nichols, my second grade teacher and sometime Sunday school teacher, say many times, “A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger”, which also happens to be Proverbs 15:1 (in the King James, of course). I also remember singing, “Angry words, o let them never, from the tongue unbridled slip”.

Not that I have followed both of these perfectly over the years, but when we hear such wisdom time and time again, it can’t help but sink into your heart. These words held true back in second grade, and still hold true today: what we say and how we say it does matter. We can choose to use our words to encourage and uplift, or we can choose to tear down and hurt those around us. That is the power of the tongue.

The Proverbs writer goes on to say if you want to be foolish, ignore the advice of your father. I like that one. I wish I had listened to my own father more than I did, and I hope and pray that my children will listen to me when I have something wise to say. Think before you speak; what a novel concept!