SUMMARY: Foolish words
OVERVIEW: Proverbs on the power and influence of what we say and how we live.
BIG IDEA: Foolish words are empty (verse 2), divisive (verse 6), troublesome (verse 7), and deadly…but wise words bring life (verse 21).
KEY VERSE: Proverbs 18:21
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
IF GOD WROTE YOU A LETTER
Your mouth is a tool that can spew words of hate or hope. It can build up or tear down. Your words have the power to heal or hate. Use your mouth to bring goodness to the world. Let your words be like soothing oil for a tired body or refreshing water for those with tired, cracked skin. Your spirit can withstand an onslaught of enemy attack when it is full of hope and able to filter out evil. But a wounded spirit is like a limp noodle. Feed your soul with truths from my word and feed others with healthy, loving words.
Be quick to listen and slow to speak. It is foolish and disrespectful to answer before listening. And be a friend. Unfriendly people focus on sharing their opinions without giving others time to talk. Fools speak without thinking and often without taking a breath. Slow down and listen.
NEXT STEP
Work hard to be a listener today. Do not formulate what you plan to say while another person is talking. Instead, listen, reiterate what the other person said, and then speak. You may discover you don’t get to talk as much as you like. That may be how others feel when communicating with you.
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