Proverbs 13:2-6
(MSG) The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation; bullies push and shove their way through life. Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything. Indolence wants it all and gets nothing; the energetic have something to show for their lives. A good person hates false talk; a bad person wallows in gibberish. A God-loyal life keeps you on track; sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.
(NIV) 2From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence. 3He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. 4The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. 5The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace. 6 Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
Watching what and how something is said - I know how hard this is: I’m glib. Have a quick answer for—well, some would say….everything. I’m working on that. It’s a daily thing. So I really understand how hard it is to think before you speak: To understand the power of what is about to be said; to be compassionate to those in need of compassion – even to those employees that do not meet your expectation for excellence.
Leaders work through people to achieve their vision for their family or their organization. They inspire innovation in their people. It is leadership that moves ideas, gets stuff down and keeps the team motivated and engaged.
And they use conversation to do all this. Effective leaders employ carefully crafted words. They use authentic speech and don’t pretend to have all the answers. Their speech encourages collaboration.
The wise man, inspired by the Spirit, who penned these proverbs, clearly understood the impact of what comes out of the mouth of a leader reflects the heart (soul) of the person. Helpful conversation is not about complaining, commiserating or comparing one to the other; it inspires help from the team because the leader is helpful. Careful words will encourage commitment of the team because you keep your commitments.
Someday, keep track of how many and the variety of conversations you have during the day. And then think about the impact of what you said and how you said it. Spoken words have power to destroy, discourage or delight the hearer.
Are you guarding your heart so what you speak is helpful, careful and true?
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Verse 2 focuses on the positive side of speaking well. Read Hosea 10:13 and comment on how it adds understanding to the word “violence.”
What does Verse 3 focus upon? Why the contrast? Look at James 3:2 & Eph 4:24 to add a dimension to your thinking.
Verse 4 seems out of place, but actually the word “carves” refers to the soul and is the same word used in vv 2 & 3. Discuss how the impact of words could yield the results shaped in this verse.
Verses 5 & 6 address truth and the consequence of lies. Satan is the “father of lies.” How do these two verses tie together the thoughts of the other verses?
Discuss what you must do to change your current "taste of helpful conversation."
Copyright ©2009 by P. Griffith Lindell
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