DAY 263 - A Word to the Wise

-->

Proverbs 25:11-14 (NRSV) ¹¹ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. ¹² Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise rebuke to a listening ear.  ¹³ Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest are faithful messengers to those who send them; they refresh the spirit of their masters. ¹⁴ Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of a gift never given.

Luke 6:43-45 (NRSV) 43 ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; ⁴⁴for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

By the power of His word, God created everything that was created. And, the irony is that if humanity destroys that creation, the end will begin with a word. Before the first button is pushed, before the first missile is launched, there must first come the word of command.

One fourth of the book of Proverbs deals with the wise use of words, of wise words spoken with accuracy that goes beyond honesty. A word fitly spoken is accurate, direct, and to the point. It is also well-timed, spoken under the right circumstances. One of our goals as Christians is to use words in the service of Jesus Christ, and to the degree we are able to do that, we speak wisely.

Most of us want to speak with wisdom. Most of us do on occasions, yet most of us still have room to grow toward this goal. How can we take a few steps forward in learning to speak wisely and to use our words in the service of Jesus Christ? Do we have the gift that will enable us to speak wisely? Jesus said, “…it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.”  The Christ who has committed Himself to live in our hearts gives us the abundance out of which we can speak. If we have the gift of His life within us, we have the ability to speak wisely.

The next question is whether or not we will dig for the treasure through discipline. Discipline is what we do to nurture the gift of word already given to us in Jesus Christ. It is learning to give in to the higher urge, which is the work of Jesus Christ offering us wisdom out of the abundance of our hearts. Discipline begins by listening to that wisdom and by responding to the work He is doing in our hearts. Discipline includes, if we are fortunate, having someone who cares enough about us to hold us accountable.  God has given us the gift of “a word fitly spoken” in His Son. Are we willing to undergo the discipline to release the power of that word in our lives and to our world?

From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope, June 22, 1986

© Rhonda H. Mitchell