Reflecting on Proverbs 10:8
The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. ~Proverbs 10:8
As I go through the book of Proverbs, I am struck at how much Solomon emphasizes wisdom. In Proverbs 9:11, he promises long life to those who are wise. So what is wisdom and why is it so important? As I read Proverbs 10:8 this morning, I interpreted it as follows: The wise person will be slow to speak, at which point she will hear more clearly God’s direction for her life. What? Is it that simple? In short, no, but I think it can be a start.
If you want to hear from God, you must learn to be still. This is scary to a lot of people but it is necessary. There are too many distractions and chaos which bombard our senses that I think it’s time to find that prayer closet that David Wilkerson used to talk about, the place where you give God your undivided attention and learn of Him.
I expect the “babbling fool” part of the verse refers to those who talk to much … mostly about nothing.
Not long ago, a friend was really upset about a situation and, although I can be a good listener, I chose to give some input which she misinterpreted, and she got really angry with me. She later apologized and said she was just taking her frustration out on me, but the fact is that I should have been more sensitive and bit my tongue no matter how much I wanted to share what was on my mind. There might have been a time to relay my thoughts, but I didn’t need to do it at that moment. I expect I was being a babbling fool at the time, and I could have lost a friendship over it.
James 1:19 tells us to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” Proverbs 17:28 says that “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise.” I think this is our challenge. If you desire to be wise, start by thinking before you speak and then pray about whether you should speak or hold your peace. I will be working on this as well.
Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash
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