Our speech, tongue, mouth, and words are often addressed in the book of Proverbs. In Chapter 10, we are exhorted not to talk too much, but when we do, it should be of such a nature that it brings encouragement to others. Verse 11 says, “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life…” We should keep that in mind in all our conversations. Then Proverbs 10:20 adds, “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.” The book of James in the New Testament speaks about this subject also. Commenting on this teaching, Ellsworth says, “We must also make it our business to fill our mouths with good things. The more our mouths are filled with praise to God and good, kind, and encouraging words regarding others, the less space there will be for fiery, poisonous talk.”[1]
This is not an isolated subject in the Bible. It comes up often. Let me show you a few verses. Proverbs 15:23 says, “To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!” Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” Proverbs 25:11 adds, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Then Isaiah, in Isaiah 50:4, says that God taught him how to speak. He says, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.” There is no one better at that than God Himself. He speaks to us throughout the Bible with uplifting and encouraging words when we need them the most. It’s easy to fall prey to Satan’s desire to destroy our hope for the future. In Dante’s Inferno, there is a sign above the gates leading to hell. It reads, “Abandon all hope, Ye who enter here.” Satan wants us hopeless; God wants us filled with hope. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11. It’s probably one of yours also; “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord; plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God spoke these encouraging words to Israel amidst the most difficult time of the nation’s history.
When Lou Gehrig was starting his baseball career, he went into a slump and grew so discouraged he thought of quitting. A friend named Paul Krichell heard Lou was slumping, and he took a train to Hartford and invited Lou to join him for a steak dinner at the Bond Hotel. Lou poured out his frustrations, and Paul could see the player’s confidence was shot. He spent the evening telling Lou that all hitters go through slumps and that the best ones—even Ty Cobb—don’t get hits six or seven out of every ten tries. But eventually, good hitters start hitting again; and, said Paul, “You’re a good hitter.” After dinner, Gehrig walked with Paul to the train station and thanked him for coming. The next day, Lou started blasting the ball again, and over the next eleven games, he came through with twenty-two hits, including six home runs—and his career took off. “I decided not to quit after all,” he said. Sometimes, we need to take a train track down.
[1] Ellsworth, Roger. 2009. Opening up James. Opening Up Commentary. Leominster: Day One Publications.