Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Wisdom of Words

How is it that our words can be so powerful? How can such small exertions of air -- manipulated and repackaged according to various nuances -- carry such a heavy burden, bearing the heavy baggage of both the past and the now?

Words, while taking the form of a sharp blade, or, perhaps, a dense, blunt object, even a virus, small as it is in its preliminary form, which quickly spreads and overwhelms its victim, bear the power -- at times blatantly, but often acting from a more subversive nature -- to cripple, to maim, and in such extreme cases to kill. But this is the easy way; the broad path leading to the destruction of all involved, even, in due time, the destruction of he who wields such deadly power.

And what -- apart from the obvious answer of man's fallen nature -- motivates such violent a power? Lust, greed, pride, hate, anger, competing ideologies, in some cases religion itself, poor reasoning, and on goes the list from the very minor, subconscious ticks, to the far spectrum of worldview and culture.

But my interest does not so much lie in the realm of the nature of evil in its marriage with words, but moreso in the divorce of the two. I choose the word divorce because the time is past for a pre-emptive strike; prevention was only possible in the garden. The task now is restoration; to bring all things into submission under Christ.

So what, indeed, is the motivation -- in contrast to the above stated motivations that open the door for evil to play its role in our words -- behind the arduous task of redeeming our words? Quite simply put: wisdom. And so for this I lean on proverbs to bring light to how one's words are to conform to his position and continual transformation in Christ to his likeness.

Proverbs 1:7... The key by which we understand wisdom: "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

"Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
and put devious speech far from you." - 4:24

"A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth." - 6:12

"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence." - 10:11

"when there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
but he who restrains his lips is wise." - 10:19

"By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down." - 11:11

"There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing." - 12:18

"Anxiety in a man's heart weights it down,
but a good word makes it glad." - 12:25

"The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;
the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." - 13:3

"A truthful witness saves lives,
but he who utters lies is treacherous." - 14:25

"A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger." - 15:1

"A soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but perversion in it crushes the spirit." - 15:4

"The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." - 15:28

"He who restrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding." - 17:27

"Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent." - 17:28

"A fool does not delight in understanding,
but only in revealing his own mind." - 18:2

"He who gives an answer before he hears,
it is folly and shame to him." - 18:13

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue,
guards his soul from troubles." - 21:23

"Do not go out hastily to argue your case;
otherwise, what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor humiliates you." - 25:8

"Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you will also be like him." - 26:4

"He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with a tongue." - 28:23

"A man who flatters his neighbor
is spreading a net for his steps." -29:5

"Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him." - 29:20