Sticks and Stones

Proverbs 11:9 & 12 With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous.
It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet.

It was kind of hard for me to focus on just one proverb out of this chapter. So many stuck out to me today. But I went ahead and chose these two guys because I think it's so important that we're conscience of what we say you know? Life and death lies in the power of the tongue. We will be judged for every idle word spoken Matthew 12:36. The tongue is the fiercest organ that is a fire and a world of wickedness James 3:5-6.

I think it's interesting that verse 9 says, "with their words, the godless destroy their friends." If the words of the godless can destroy their friends, how much more do the words of the GODLY destroy their friends, their families, and even strangers? Is it safe to say that those who are believers in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, have weightier words? Words that are sharper than those of the godless? Verse 12 says, "it's foolish to belittle one's neighbor." Christians should definitely set the example for others. How we chose our words, is a testimony of our lives. How we chose our words can either, build up or tear down. As believers, we should definitely choose words that are edifying and building each other up since we are the Body!

"But knowledge will rescue the righteous; a sensible person keeps quiet." The latter part of verses 9 & 12 express the importance -- once again -- of silence and knowledge, which seem to go hand in hand. If knowledge recuses the righteous, one would first have to accumulate knowledge. A righteous person would, at some point, learn that in some cases, silence is key, and that words should be chosen before spoken... Not thrown around because you can do "damage control" later. I don't care what anyone says, words really do hurt, and I think that it's important we choose our words wisely.

I don't want my words to judge me, I want to judge my words. Matthew 12:36