During my recent time in Proverbs 15, I was struck by the language Solomon uses for describing the conversations of the wicked and foolish. "The mouth of the fool gushes folly" (v. 2). "The mouth of the fool feeds on folly" (v. 14)."The mouth of the wicked gushes evil" (v. 28). In contrast, the righteous are described as being measured and temperate in their use of words.
Are you ever tempted to "gush" forth your opinion before thinking through what you are going to say? Do you ever "feed on" the folly of other people's opinions without thinking critically and asking the question, "How does that argument hold up against God's revelation in the Word?"
I am thankful that God has blessed me, generally, with the sense to measure my words before I speak. Frankly, I am convinced that no one would benefit from my "gushing forth" my stream of consciousness. With so many avenues for communication today, many feel they have license to share every inmost thought they have with the world. Some thoughts are worthy - many are not. Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Though God is sanctifying me by His Spirit, the old man still manages to stir up the crud in my rebellious heart. With that stirring comes the temptation to speak unworthy words - hurtful, cynical words. "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers..." (15:28).
Good communication is a gift from God. May He bless us with a godly "filter," so that our communication will be a blessing to our neighbor.
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