WISDOM STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
Proverbs 16:23-24 NKJV
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
You have probably heard the phrase "off the top of my head." This typically is someone who has not given great thought to a situation, and they are speaking the first thing that comes to mind. Then there is the phrase "saying what's on my mind." Again, this can be a range of responses from unfiltered words to a refreshing candidness. But it's usually a lot more of the unfiltered and not as much of the refreshing.
According to our verses for today, the best place to speak from is the heart. The heart of a person who is wise teaches his mouth. This suggests that the person speaking is checking what is in their heart and allowing that to guide their words. Someone who allows their heart to teach their mouth is someone who will use their words to bring light and truth into a situation. The scriptures indicate that a person whose words are following their heart is a person of wisdom. Anyone who has the wisdom to check with their heart instead of just saying is someone who has something to say.
Wise people do not speak words filled with fear and despair. Wise people speak words of life, words that add value to the people and situations they are facing. Contrast the words of the wise with the people who speak from a place that is totally connected to their feelings. If our feelings teach our mouths, we’ll be inconsistent. One day speaking life, the next day speaking negative words that bring death. Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Wise people speak life-giving words from the heart.
Wise people know that words are important. The man considered the wisest ever, Solomon, wrote these words. The Proverbs are filled with references to words and how to use them in a godly way. The wise people know that their words can be a help to others—sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Wise people learn to speak words of life, words that bring relief and healing. The scriptures are clear, words have impact, and pleasant words have a positive impact on those who speak them and those who hear them.
APPLICATION
Learning to speak from the heart is an acquired skill. I told a minister once, during my early days, that I was typically pretty quick on my feet from a verbal perspective. And that I was not usually at a loss for words. This minister was not impressed. He said it was fine to be quick thinking, but quick to speak was not okay. In the ensuing years, I have seen the wisdom of his words. He was scripturally correct, and I was wrong. Slowing down enough to allow my heart to lead my mouth has made life better for me and those around me. James 1:19 says to be quick to hear and slow to speak. When I was quick to speak and slow to hear, my words were less often sweet to the soul and health to the bones.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how to slow down and let my heart lead my mouth. Help me become a person known for good words.