“They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.” Psalms 64:3
“The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.” Proverbs 16:21
Sometimes the best way to understand what something IS, is by talking first about what it is NOT.
It can be very painful to think of the times we’ve hurt others with our words, whether on purpose or accidentally.
For most of us, it isn’t our intent to hurt others, but somehow in the passion of the moment or without first processing the consequences we blurt out something terrible.
Today we can discern, with God’s help, opportunities to share gracious words with the people around us.
“Discernment” as used in Proverbs 16:21, according to Strong’s concordance, is the Hebrew work “biyn” which means:
“To separate mentally (or distinguish), that is, (generally) understand:—attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill (-ful), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand (-ing), view, (deal) wise(-ly, man).”
It’s a long but necessary definition that provides a great understanding of what is both meant and implied by the word “discernment.”
Imagine if every word that we spoke was filtered by God-given discernment!
In his letters to his son Christopher, JRR Tolkien once said,
”A man who cannot choose words with care will never succeed in making anything beautiful with them.” Letter 142
Pray today for discernment in choosing our words, so that the words that come out of our mouths are gracious and in love in Jesus’ name.
