My dear readers,

Do You Talk a Lot?

Proverbs 12:23: “A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.”

God gave man a mouth with a tongue to speak. It is a tremendous gift from God because the tongue is one organ that never seems to tire with age. It is a muscle that needs no exercise as it exercises daily, anywhere and anytime. It does not need lubrication like a car engine, requiring constant tune-ups to run smoothly. The tongue can go on and on like a well-oiled engine that requires no fuel. The moment a child learns to speak, he will keep talking.

We cannot count the number of words we speak in one lifetime. But how much of what we say or write is classified under prudent and foolishness?

Before salvation, our words were foolish. The counting begins from the day of our salvation because it is only in Christ that sinners who have become saints can be prudent. God transformed us, from within, into His children and imputed us with the righteousness of Christ the moment Christ baptised us with the Holy Spirit.

The question is: Are we prudent as children of God?

The potency of words in impacting lives can be deadly. Words can penetrate the inner man, unlike any physical violence. Words control the desires of man. Once desires consume man, they act accordingly, regardless of whether the actions are harmful or helpful. Words can inflame emotions to a frenzy, as seen in the passionate speeches of evil men like Hitler. Millions of his followers blindly massacred millions, their consciences being seared. Their hearts were numbed by their all-consuming desire to obey their leader. The power of words cannot be underestimated, especially by God’s people.

God’s people are prudent. They evaluate the circumstances of life through the lenses of God’s Word, for they have been gifted with the mind of Christ to understand and a heart to obey every jot and tittle of God's Word. As such, they are careful and prayerful before they speak. The words they speak are biblical, which are truths according to God’s Word. In short, they speak on behalf of God. They see through the devil’s snares when evaluating the sin-filled circumstances they encounter daily. Their lives are marked by holiness, with hearts convicted sincerely to never defile themselves before man and God, even if their lives depend on it. Truthful words characterise their lives. They will not slander. When slanderers give them "information", they will rebuke them in Christ. Any news communicated to them will be carefully weighed and evaluated after hearing both sides before coming to any conclusion.

They know what to say to the right person, ensuring that they will not stumble into the sin of gossip. Young Joseph did right when he complained to his father about his older brothers’ evil deeds as they watched over their father’s flock. Their father had every right to know, for Joseph was a brother’s keeper. His brothers were supposed to care for their father’s flock but did not. Truths must only be shared with the right people; when shared with the wrong people (who do not need to know), the truth becomes gossip. The prudent ones know when to conceal knowledge. They share with the leaders they work with, who need to know as co-labourers of the Lord overseeing the same flock entrusted to their joint care. They might share with others whose expertise or specific spiritual gifts can contribute to a better understanding of the issue so as to help them make a God-honouring decision as soon as possible.

The prudent must share the truth accurately, with the right people, and at the right time. Sometimes the truth, when shared at the wrong time when the parties involved are not ready to accept the truth, might become a problem, and the door of help might be closed forever. The prudent must pray for God’s preparation and the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Sharing the truth at the right place and time is crucial too. A couple shared about the errors of the Charismatic movement with the bereaved family almost immediately after the vigil service that the Charismatic church pastor conducted. The grieving family became distraught and even threatened to report the couple to the authorities for their criticism of their faith. The negative impact was disastrous; even though the truth was shared and the people needed to know, the timing and place were wrong.

Be prudent with your words.

Conversely, “the heart of fools (i.e. thick-headed) proclaimeth foolishness (i.e. perverseness)”. When evil words come forth from a fool, the problem lies not just with the words, but with the heart. The fool’s words are perverse from a spiritual perspective, for they will undermine the faith of the ones who are gullible enough to believe. These fools are no fools as far as their words are concerned. Their words can be compelling and have the flavour of truth, but they are usually mixed with the tiniest amount of the leaven of lies or deception to make them almost indiscernible. The ones who believe will indeed be poisoned. Their lives will be twisted by the lies that they believe to be true because their minds have leaned toward deception. Relationships with fellow believers will be soured. Their walk with God becomes carnal. They think they are walking right with God when the reality is that they are blinded by deception and lies.

The heart of the person who sows foolishness will condemn him as one who is like the devil, for no born-again believer will have such a heart. His is a stony heart, not a heart of flesh which all believers possess after salvation. Ezekiel 36:26-28: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Whatever words of God he thinks he knew has fallen on stony ground. He might preach and teach God’s Word passionately, but they are hollow words without the Holy Spirit’s working and convicting power to bless or save. They may write theological papers and even publish Christian books, but these deeds may not be evidence of salvation, like the tares that look like and grow together with the wheat but can never become wheat.

The foolish heart proclaims foolishness in an unobvious manner; only the born-again believer can discern it with the help of the Holy Spirit and God's Word. The fool’s words may sound biblical, but the believer must be able to “hear the silence” behind them. The fool’s life and deeds will better reveal his foolish heart than his words.

Be wary of a foolish heart.

Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”