“From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.” Proverbs 16:23 NLT
Several axioms pop into my head when I read these passages about WORDS.
One: “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Two: “Better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” Three, incorrectly attributed to St. Francis Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” The Franciscans are hopping mad about that wonky phrase being stuck to their founder. The closest quote Francis wrote is, “All the Friars… should preach by their deeds.”
These wisdom words out of Proverbs seem to be positive about speaking words. Words shape people’s thoughts! The cousin to this proverb is “The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive,” Proverbs 16:21, adding the word “pleasant.” The Hebrew word is metheq: sweetness. And in verse 23, the key word is sakal: consider. Both verses, in Hebrew, are for the purpose of learning. These wise, sweet, considerate words are good for folks who want to learn. Their minds and hearts are open and ready to receive, like eager students who love understanding new concepts in school.
You know what’s sad? Humans are oftentimes to impatient to learn. Do you know what kind of words get quicker results, in terms of action? You guessed it – angry words! Accusations, angry, hateful words move MOBS! Crowds love angry words. No thought, no learning, no homework necessary. Just throw out the vile, trashy rap and it triggers the ol’ amygdala, the “lizard” brain.
Oh man, God’s ways are NOT our ways, His thoughts are NOT our thoughts – wisdom uses a different methodology. You notice how much of our country is filled with angry words and not sweet, persuasive words? Yeah, because we’ve stopped listening, stopped learning. And the results are clear, we’re just behaving like a bunch of raw emotional, darwinian neanderthals looking for a war!
Wisdom itself is a slower path, definitely one less traveled. Followers of Jesus must, must, must believe and behave differently! We must continue to use sweet, considerate words – wisdom words to persuade. Here’s the prefect contrarian picture out of the gospels. The crowd is screaming crucify and Jesus is saying, Father forgive them. Which words sound like wisdom?
Prayer
Dad,
Ouch, those proverbs sting a little. I have a lot of angry thoughts and want to let them fly out of my mouth! Your word challenges me to not only think through my words but choose them carefully to teach and persuade rather than just rile up a crowd and send them off, moshing into the world. I am so thankful for the tools of wisdom to help navigate our angry world.