5 Things Proverbs Says About Our Words Sample

Day 4: Our speech should be wise and informed 

The way we speak is an oft-repeated theme in Scripture. Words have power. Words matter. Words can either be life-giving or life-crushing. 

King David prayed for a mouth that offered words that were “acceptable” in the sight of God. Proverbs affirms the value of applying just the right word in the right moment. It is full of admonitions against hasty speech and forming an opinion without getting all the facts. Here are just a few:

"The one who gives an answer before he listens—this is foolishness and disgrace for him" (Proverbs 18:13).

"It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly only later to reconsider his vows" (Proverbs 20:25).

As we consider our speech, especially through social media platforms, we should pursue wisdom. Wisdom is the antidote to the kind of raw smorgasbord of data we have at our disposal in a digital age. This means we need to resist confirmation bias and have a healthy skepticism toward the intake of information.

I’m amazed, frankly, at the way we are tempted to reject the authority of those who might have expertise and grant authority instead to our favorite sources online. Because we can Google stuff, we think we are experts and often dismiss, as “elite” or “the establishment,” those who have spent years pursuing actual useful knowledge in areas outside of our callings. Thinking on what is true requires us to lean on the knowledge of experts, to understand our own intellectual limitations, and to resist the lie that says we can be all-knowing.

It’s actually quite arrogant for me to assume that, for example, a doctor who has studied in medical school for years knows less about my health than some random Google search. Or that my friend who works in pediatric infectious disease at a university research hospital, an elder in his church, and committed Christian brother, knows less about the validity of vaccinations for my children than I do. 

It’s even more foolish to trust one person on the Internet more than the shared knowledge of medical professionals who study these things for a living. The Bible tells us wisdom is often found within a community of advisers and not through ideas that confirm our fears or appeal to what we already believe or want to be true.

• What are some practical ways you resist confirmation bias in the information you consume and transfer? 
• How do you seek God’s wisdom daily?