Active GenerositySample

Sentences that begin ‘I don’t want to be mean but…’ never end well. And they beg the question: if you don’t want to be mean, why would you be?

There are many proverbs about ‘the tongue’ because words have enormous power. They can ‘pierce like swords’ or bring healing (12:18); they can nourish (10:21) or bring ruin (20:28); they can escalate conflict (26:21) or end it (26:20). Think about the last time you felt a stab of emotional pain or a bubble of joy. Chances are you were responding to something someone had said. When someone says something generous, it feels like you have been given a gift.

This week’s proverbs lay out a number of ways we can cause harm with our speech, and from these we can infer how to do good. Rather than being reckless, we can be cautious and careful. Something we often say to children is the old chestnut: ‘If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all!’ Most of us would benefit from the practice of counting to ten before replying to something hurtful. Once the words are out, they can’t be pulled back in.

Instead of passing on gossip, we can shut it down. The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of gossip is ‘reports about other people, typically involving details which are not confirmed as true’. These reports can spread like wildfire because in our fallenness we derive pleasure from salacious speculation. We need to discipline ourselves to hold our tongues and close our ears.

We can be kind and not malicious, tell the truth and not lie, be honest and not flatter. These choices will make the world a better place. These choices honour God and bless those around us. Let’s choose our words well.