40 Days of Words
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of Words
Day 14 | THINKING CAREFULLY | Proverbs 15:28
40 Days of Words
Day 14 | THINKING CAREFULLY | Proverbs 15:28
THINKING CAREFULLY
Proverbs 15:28
“The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.” (NLT)
Maybe it’s me, but it seems way easier to say whatever comes into your mind than to “think carefully before speaking.” And, of course, that’s the point of this proverb.
Solomon had noticed that the godly – those who value God and have given Him a priority in their lives – spoke differently from others. One of the things they learned to do is to WAIT long enough before speaking to ensure that the words were appropriate, well-chosen, and – a big one for many – in line with that verse in Ephesians 4:15 – “Speaking the truth in love.”
When I was a young associate pastor, I was in the car with the older, experienced senior pastor. We talked about many appropriate things for a younger newbie to learn… but one comes to mind right now. He told me that a new mother in one of his churches had just had a baby. He said he had seen many newborns, but this one was the least attractive newborn baby he had ever seen. The new mother was excitedly showing the pastor her baby, to which he replied, “My, isn’t that a baby!” The mother was thrilled!
This pastor had thought carefully before speaking.
We live in a time when everyone is talking. Everyone is posting, writing, doing podcasts, and communicating to the world. It has never been this busy.
This is all the more reason to THINK carefully before speaking and not be like the “wicked” who babble on “with evil words.”
Prayer: LORD, I desire to think before I speak and then speak words that will uplift and help others. Help me to do just that – for your glory. Amen.
Proverbs 15:28
“The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.” (NLT)
Maybe it’s me, but it seems way easier to say whatever comes into your mind than to “think carefully before speaking.” And, of course, that’s the point of this proverb.
Solomon had noticed that the godly – those who value God and have given Him a priority in their lives – spoke differently from others. One of the things they learned to do is to WAIT long enough before speaking to ensure that the words were appropriate, well-chosen, and – a big one for many – in line with that verse in Ephesians 4:15 – “Speaking the truth in love.”
When I was a young associate pastor, I was in the car with the older, experienced senior pastor. We talked about many appropriate things for a younger newbie to learn… but one comes to mind right now. He told me that a new mother in one of his churches had just had a baby. He said he had seen many newborns, but this one was the least attractive newborn baby he had ever seen. The new mother was excitedly showing the pastor her baby, to which he replied, “My, isn’t that a baby!” The mother was thrilled!
This pastor had thought carefully before speaking.
We live in a time when everyone is talking. Everyone is posting, writing, doing podcasts, and communicating to the world. It has never been this busy.
This is all the more reason to THINK carefully before speaking and not be like the “wicked” who babble on “with evil words.”
Prayer: LORD, I desire to think before I speak and then speak words that will uplift and help others. Help me to do just that – for your glory. Amen.