PROVERBS 10

Proverbs 10:19-21
"Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense."

Have you ever received a text and thought, “Maybe this person shouldn’t have sent this to me”? Maybe it was something that instantly made you angry, and your first instinct was to fire back. Or maybe—you’ve been the one who hit send on that kind of message.

Sometimes it’s not even a text. Maybe it was a post on social media.

When we read verses like the ones in Proverbs 10, we tend to think only about the words we speak out loud. And yes, we absolutely should be mindful of what comes out of our mouths. But in today’s world, we’ve started replacing actual conversations with messages and social posts—because it’s easier. It feels more efficient to just send the text and think to ourselves, “Well, I said what needed to be said.”

But something I learned not too long ago was this: think before you send. Give it 24 hours. Pray about it. Sit with it. And then—once you’ve found clarity—don’t send it.

Over and over in Scripture, we’re reminded to build others up with our words, to be careful with what we say. That truth doesn’t stop at spoken words. It applies to what we type, too.

Before sending that message, ask yourself:
Is this building someone up?
Is this going to stir up anger?

And if it’s really meant for a specific person—call them. Better yet, invite them to meet in person. Sit down over coffee or a meal. And when you’re face to face, keep Proverbs 10 in mind: don’t talk too much. Be sensible. Be quiet. Be encouraging. Let your words be like silver.

What does it mean for our words to be like silver? It means they should be pure. Refined. Worthy.

As I reflect on that, I ask myself:
Are my words pure?
Am I refining them before I speak?
And above all—are they worthy?

PRAYER

Jesus, we are sorry. We are sorry we haven’t prioritized building each other up. We are sorry that we haven’t been slow to speak. Our words haven’t been pure, refined, or worthy. Forgive us, Father. We pray that you give us wisdom in times where we need it most. Give us wisdom when we are ready to send a text message, a post on social media, or even when we are using spoken words. Let our words be encouraging, pure, refined, and worthy. Let us be slow to speak, slow to become angry, and quick to listen. We love you Jesus, in your name we pray, Amen!