Day 17 - 40 Days of WISDOM
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of WISDOM
Day 17 | CHOOSING YOUR WORDS
40 Days of WISDOM
Day 17 | CHOOSING YOUR WORDS
CHOOSING YOUR WORDS
Ecclesiastes 10:12
“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious and win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him.” (AMP)
While the number of words the average person speaks in a day can depend on age, culture, and other factors, a University of Arizona study found that most people say around 16,000 words daily. Considering that the average American probably speaks about 150 words per minute, you can see that we talk a lot! (And BTW, there is no apparent difference in the number of words spoken between men and women.)
But would you evaluate your words as gracious, foolish, or both? And what is the result of those words?
Ecclesiastes 10:12-13 in Message says: “The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs—He starts out talking nonsense and ends up spouting insanity and evil.”
Yikes! (I know a couple of people like this, don’t you? And I try to avoid them.)
So, what is the Lord, through Solomon, the human author here, trying to say to us?
Have you ever heard the phrase “a fly in the ointment”? Well, here is where it comes from just a few verses earlier: “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.” (Ecclesiastes 10:1)
Back then, if a fly got caught in making a perfume and was not removed immediately, it could decay and start to stink up the perfume, ultimately making it worthless.
Therefore, our words can quickly damage a reputation, and, in fact, they can damage years of building a good reputation.
The Scripture has much to say about our words… and for good reason. Consider God made the universe by saying, “Let there be light,” and so on. And in whose image are WE made? Right, in HIS image. No, we are not God, but our words are important and can make a difference in our lives and those around us.
Choose wisely.
Prayer: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Amen. (from Psalm 19:14)
Ecclesiastes 10:12
“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious and win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him.” (AMP)
While the number of words the average person speaks in a day can depend on age, culture, and other factors, a University of Arizona study found that most people say around 16,000 words daily. Considering that the average American probably speaks about 150 words per minute, you can see that we talk a lot! (And BTW, there is no apparent difference in the number of words spoken between men and women.)
But would you evaluate your words as gracious, foolish, or both? And what is the result of those words?
Ecclesiastes 10:12-13 in Message says: “The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs—He starts out talking nonsense and ends up spouting insanity and evil.”
Yikes! (I know a couple of people like this, don’t you? And I try to avoid them.)
So, what is the Lord, through Solomon, the human author here, trying to say to us?
Have you ever heard the phrase “a fly in the ointment”? Well, here is where it comes from just a few verses earlier: “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.” (Ecclesiastes 10:1)
Back then, if a fly got caught in making a perfume and was not removed immediately, it could decay and start to stink up the perfume, ultimately making it worthless.
Therefore, our words can quickly damage a reputation, and, in fact, they can damage years of building a good reputation.
The Scripture has much to say about our words… and for good reason. Consider God made the universe by saying, “Let there be light,” and so on. And in whose image are WE made? Right, in HIS image. No, we are not God, but our words are important and can make a difference in our lives and those around us.
Choose wisely.
Prayer: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Amen. (from Psalm 19:14)
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