Day 111, Year 1 The Starting Point of Practicing Wisdom

“Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.” (Proverbs 17:28 NASB)

Jesus said, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37 NKJV)

We who seek wisdom from God could first consider perceiving ourselves as fools. We should speak as little as possible, think and pray more; only speak when we are clear about what is correct. This approach is the right starting point for developing wisdom. As an idiom goes, “loose lips sink ships.” Or as the Proverbs states, “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19 NASB) Some Chinese people’s emphasis on careful and accurate speech is close to the Proverbs’ mention of restraining one’s lips from speaking too much to transgress. In my opinion, we can express our uncertainties in the form of questions, rather than presenting them as any form of certainty. If you are a person who speaks a lot, you may need to change from now on.

The first verse of today mentions that a fool could be considered wise when they speak less. I believe that this refers to the initial stage of our learning of wisdom, where we should talk less and listen more. And we should humbly listen to the Bible’s words, feel God’s response, and consider the final outcome of various things, etc. All these require a quiet heart, careful consideration, and heartfelt sensitivity. During this process, those learning wisdom tend to find it difficult to speak too much. Meanwhile, actually some spiritual understandings are hard to express in words or speeches.

Referring to the second verse of today, if our idle speeches are sinful, and we are not forgiven but found guilty by the Lord Jesus at the judgment, then we are doomed to eternal fire. Note that Jesus refers to idle words, casual speech, and even a slip of the tongue, which will all be judged by Him. This is because casual speech often reveals people’s true selves. Thus, believers need to speak fewer idle and more serious words while working harder to combat the evil hidden within. If jokes are to be told, we should joke thoughtfully. As the saying goes, “laughter is the best medicine.” In fact, some moody or depressed people need to be relieved, guided, and consoled in social settings through various jokes.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you find it difficult to be careful in your speech? If so, how would you lean on the Lord to solve this problem?

2) How would you feel when the Lord Jesus judges you by your idle words in the future?