The Proverbs Challenge – Day 17 | Positive Encouraging K-LOVE

Day 17 – Read Proverbs 17

Why Wise People Wait to Speak

Navigating social media is always interesting, isn’t it? Especially in our world today, where there seems to be a million voices speaking constantly. The internet is filled with things trying to offend our sensibilities. It’s hard to scroll through your feed without seeing something that makes you want to type out a few quickly worded lines in response. Because then they’ll know you’re right, and they're wrong. You know just what to say, right?

But is it wise to fire off our opinions at every opportunity? Proverbs 17:28 tells us that even fools who stay silent are considered wise. We’ve all seen the devastation caused when people pop off at the mouth whenever and wherever they choose. Foolish talk has destroyed many people.

Taking Time to Listen

Because I'm a teacher, I always have something to say—some seemingly helpful nugget to add to any conversation. (Whether those nuggets are actually helpful, though...) When I was young, I learned my quick remarks weren’t always well-timed, and occasionally, they may have just been a manifestation of my youthful pride. I had to learn to build in a "personal pause."

A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. – Proverbs 17:27 NLT

Even if we think we have the best answer for a situation, this chapter reminds us that pauses in our conversations are always a smart move. If we want to “prove” ourselves, we need to do a quick motive check and figure out why we feel the need to prove ourselves to someone else. If we have some need to be heard, we should take that to God before taking our “answers” to other people.

So let’s build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and be encouragers. We may very well have something constructive to say, but timing and tone make all the difference. We aren’t supposed to manufacture or perpetuate drama. We don’t want to be people who must continuously make amends for what we’ve said.