worth a thousand words

At some point when I was transitioning into the life of an adult with a career, my dad gave me a piece of advice I'll never, ever forget:

"Keep your mouth shut.  Most of my problems happen because someone has opened their mouth and shouldn't have."

Dad works in the world of a merciless media, so it's not surprising that he is hypersensitive to a careless or untimely slip of the tongue.

Even still, I've always believed in the wisdom of his counsel.  To a large degree, I think our society has devalued the spoken word, and is desensitized to the power therein.  Too often we say too much, at the wrong time, with a hurtful tone, or without a moment's consideration of how we will impact others.

My accountability group and I had the pleasure of reading through Proverbs this past week.  Ah, Proverbs.  The art of the unsaid.  The picture of brevity.  The definition of "short and sweet."

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then so is a proverb.

But they sure do pack a lot of punch!  And as Dad has shared his little proverb with me over the years about my words, so does our heavenly Father:

Less is more.
"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered." (17:27)

Wise words are precious.
"Wise words are more valuable
than much gold and many rubies." (20:15)

Contemplate, don't pontificate.
"The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." (15:28)

Listen well.
"Fools have no interest in understanding;
they only want to air their own opinions." (18:2)

A convicting week, to say the least.  Do I talk too much?  Are my words empty?  Do I speak before thinking?  Am I more interested in sharing what I think, rather than hearing what others think?

God of all wisdom, may I speak words of kindness, encouragement, and understanding.  May You find them precious and valuable, and shared only after careful consideration.  And above all, grant me increased wisdom that only comes from You.

And thanks, Dad, for instilling in me your own personal interpretation of godly wisdom. J