Worth More Than RubiesSample

A WOMAN OF WISDOM

It’s important to resist the urge to say anything right when we feel like it just to get it off our chest. Wisdom tells us to be patient and wait for the best time to approach a matter with our words. If we are too hasty, we get our feeling off our chest, but at what cost? Is it worth it if we could have waited for a wiser time to speak that gives us a better chance of bringing about the change or result we desire? James 1:19 tells us:

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (James 1:19 ESV)

We must not be so quick to speak that we become too prideful to listen. In fact, the Bible instructs us to take more time to listen than to speak. Doing so gives us the knowledge and insight we need to respond with our words accordingly. If we truly know how powerful our words are, we’ll understand that they should not be used in haste or carelessly.

With His Words, God created the Heavens and the Earth, and as His image-bearers, we too have power in our words to create, inspire, and encourage. That also means we have just as much power to tear down, destroy, and crush with our words. When we take the time to listen, think, and process more than we talk, we position ourselves to use our words to build up, unite, inform, educate, and empower.

Our words are more powerful than we can handle at times. As power can lead to life, it can also lead to death. Take a quick inventory of the words you’ve been speaking lately. Are you guilty of complaining, sarcastic hurtful remarks, gossiping, nagging, arguing, or negative words that tear down but don’t build up? I challenge you to make more of a conscious effort today to ensure you are using your words the way God intended wise women to do so.