What Not to Say

The art of not speaking is forgotten. Today everyone has something to say even when they don't have much to say at all. If something should be re-learned it is the art of letting our tongues stop and knowing to speak less. This is a great amount of Prover 27's emphasis. 

Verse 1: Don't talk about what you're going to do.

Proverbs 27:1 (ESV) Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

What foolishness it is to think we can surmise our future. The best plan is the plan that expects plans to not go according to plan. So boasting about our plans do us very little good in the long run. 

Verse 2: Do not talk about what you've done. 

Proverbs 27:2 (ESV) Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

This wisdom is in severely short supply. Our resumes are padded, our social media pages staged and our certificates hang on the wall to let people know that we matter. Our lives are not boring and dull. 

The best kind of praise comes from outside you. Too often we either have a severely low estimation of ourselves or a severely high one. The extremes lead to extreme foolishness in countless ways. But someone else noticing us and thinking well of us speaks volumes. For at that moment we realize that our lives are not simply good for our sake, but for theirs. 

Verse 3: Do not be a complainer.

Proverbs 27:3 (ESV) A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

The word "provocation" is translated as "complaining" in the NCV. The scriptures offer several commendations to refrain from complaining. It does no good, it spoils our mood and the atmosphere of our lives. Not to mention it spreads like gangrene.  

Perhaps the hardest text in the Bible for many of us is Philippians 2:14

Philippians 2:14 (ESV) Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

What will you do positively from complaints? Not a thing. 

Verse 5: Do not be silent when you love someone. 

Proverbs 27:5 (ESV) Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

This proverb seems to be saying that you should correct people if you love them. It is not saying that. It is saying that in the absence of verbalized love even a rebuke is preferred. At least the rebuke lets others know you're paying attention. How often do we need to speak words of affection to those we love? How often do we avoid this very thing? People need to hear they are loved. All you need to ask is how much you appreciate it yourself to know how true that is. 

Verse 6: If you do care about someone, don't lie about them. 

Proverbs 27:6 (ESV) Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Better to wound them with the truth in a timely and tactful manner than to pretend everything is fine when it is not. And do not stay silent either. Your friendship requires honesty.

Skipping down to verse 14: Do not intrude with your voice. 

Proverbs 27:14 (ESV) Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. There is a time for vocalizing your neighborliness and a time to respect them with silence. Words fit moments and too often we think every moment requires them. Not true. 

Considering the many ways we should not speak makes me appreciate the Lord as the embodied Word of God. He didn't stay long (3 years) and didn't speak incessantly (the sermons in the Gospels are short and powerful) but His words changed the world and shape and sanctify our souls.