Proverbs 18:2 NKJV – ‘A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.’
Proverbs 18:6-8 NIV – ‘The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.’
Our tongue is a very powerful tool. With it we can bless or curse, speak life or death (James 3:1; Proverbs 18:21). The wise are aware of this and carefully select their words. They depend on the Holy Spirit to help them know when and how to deliver a particular message. The Holy Spirit also helps them to discern what is worth being spoken.
A fool on the other hand uses their tongue carelessly and for self-indulgence. They only care to express their own heart (yes, the same heart that is deceitfully wicked according to Jeremiah 17:9) with no regard for what that expression may cause. Proverbs 18:6-8 outlines the fruit of a fool’s tongue: contention, violence, and self-destruction. Which of these things is a reasonable price to pay for expressing your heart? I think the answer is none.
Now, if those are the fruits of a fool’s tongue, the fruits of a wise man’s tongue (who walks according to the Spirit of God) is the fruit of the Spirit which are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
As children of God, we must consider the consequences of our speech. We must seek understanding and wisdom rather than expressing opinions that lack the foundation of biblical truth.
Before we speak we should ask ourselves, ‘How will these words affect myself and others?’ If the consequences of those words do not align with the fruit of the Spirit, but rather that of a fool’s tongue, then they are not worth being spoken. Instead, we ought to pray that God renew our minds and hearts so that our mouths will only be used for His glory rather than the detriment of His kids.
PRAYER: God sometimes I can live in the moment and before I know it I’m speaking words that I wish I could take back. Expressing my heart is not worth contention with the ones that I love. Holy Spirit, please help me to listen before I speak and to be intentional and thoughtful with my words. Not only can I refrain from speaking death, but I have the power to speak life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.