Putting the I into WISDOM
The Christians who have most influenced me for good have had a fully functional familiarity with the book of Proverbs. They were (and are) able to take their considerable knowledge and apply it to their lives, providing both godly examples and godly advice. Join with me as each of us endeavors to put the I into WISDOM. Let us seek to exemplify God’s wisdom in our daily lives. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In the last two days, we have considered how a tidal wave of words can sweep out of us and over us, hurting ourselves and others. The most sobering instruction about many words is found in Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words there wanteth [lacks] not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Certainly, “sin” negatively affects us and our relationships, and sinful words are especially destructive. Even worse, though, we must remember that any sin is an affront to God; it is an assault on His wholly holy character. Our loving Lord has granted us the gift of language, yet we sometimes employ it to disrupt our relationship with Him. James 3:9-10 pointedly says, “Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse the men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” Let us be clear that sin is not a light and casual thing. Our Savior died on the Cross for all of our sins, including our wrong words. A meditation upon the seven sayings of Jesus while He was dying in our places is convicting (Luke 23:34, 43; John 19:26-27; Matthew 27:46; John 19:28, 30; Luke 23:46). May our words be as pithy and as powerful.