“The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:11).
— Proverbs 10:11-21
Message
A young man came to a monk during the Middle Ages and said, “I think I have sinned by saying slanderous things about someone.” “What should I do to be cleansed?” The wise monk replied, “Simple, Just put a feather on every doorstep in town.” Excited at the seeming simplicity of the monk’s recommendation, the young man hurriedly finished the task and came back to ask the monk if there was anything else to do. The monk cleared his throat and slyly said, “Now go back and pick up all the feathers, don’t leave any out.” Dejected and discomfited, the young man exclaimed, “but that’s impossible! For by now, the wind must have blown them all over the town!” “Exactly, just like your slanderous words are now irretrievable”, the monk concluded. Our text speaks on the use of the mouth and lips interchangeably. It describes and compares the mouths of a righteous man and the wicked. It states that the lips of the righteous have understanding, wisdom, and justice to feed many. On the other hand, the lips of the wicked are full of violence, destruction, sin, errors, lies, and slander. The tongue is a potent weapon that can bring joy or pain, happiness or misery, peace or destruction. With your tongue, you can build others up or put them down; motivate or destroy others. It takes a few words to inflict pain on others, to offend or break someone’s heart. Wounds heal but they may leave scars that will never fade. In the same vein, a wrongly spoken word leaves lasting pains. Our lips should encourage, uplift and restore those who are straying. The Christian’s mouth should be a well of life to those around him. Therefore, be mindful of your words and guard your heart with all diligence, renewing it daily with God’s counsel. Think before you speak as words spoken cannot be retrieved. Always verify the information before speaking, commenting, liking, or sharing anything on social media. Be mindful of what you say and the information you share and post. Pray for the mouth of the righteous and the lips of the just.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Daily manna has been a blessing to me and family, thanks for the light that is in the word.
Daily manna has been a blessing to me and family, thanks for the light that is in the word.