June 2, 2025 -Words Come from More than Our Tongue

PROVERBS 20:1-22:16

Chronological Bible Readings

Proverbs 21:23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues

    keep themselves from calamity.

I thought I had guarded my tongue this weekend, but it became evident that I speak with more than just my tongue. I am on retreat with 2 friends who are very different from me. I love them both and adore their hearts for God and love for people and I am happy to have gotten to know them better this weekend. Travel and going to conferences is something I do often, and I don't even think about the details of it. When one of them would ask a question that seemed obvious to me or ask a question that was already answered by someone else or moved too slowly or get sidetracked from the plan, I felt impatience and discontentment. Fortunately, the conference was on contentment, so I realized my discontent and looked at it from a different perspective. It helped me to guard my tongue from saying something that would have been hurtful most of the time. But in my direct and focused intention my face and body language did not match my words and in the weakness of tiredness and hunger my tongue guard was off duty. Now I have some friends that know me well enough that my words and actions this weekend wouldn't have phased them and when I was being insensitive they would have called me on it. But these ladies don't know me well enough to be comfortable to do that. I was asking myself why I respond like this.

Proverbs 21:24 The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name—

    behaves with insolent fury.

It is pride. In our car ride conversation, I had told them that people often think I am a people person, but I don't really like people because people are stupid. I explained that I am a people too but that I have difficulty tolerating stupid things. My "I'm a people too" comment is meant to imply that I also do stupid things that others would have difficulty tolerating but I don't think that comes across. I realize now that I can only make that statement out of pride. Who am I to decide what someone does or says is stupid. I realized it because even though because of the grace of God and power of His Spirit I no longer behave with insolent fury I do behave in irritation which is all part of the same emotional category. I feel bad that I have said and done things that because of this conversation they may think that I think they are stupid.

Proverbs 22:11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace

    will have the king for a friend.

Instead, I need to lie down that pride confess this sin to God and my friends repent and speak with grace. Good thing it's almost a 4-hour car ride so God can repair any damage I may have done. Thank you Lord for giving my friend gracious words last night that you could use them to convict me of what my pride was blinding me from seeing. Guide my words and actions that I may speak with love a pure heart and grace.