"The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands."
~ Proverbs 14:1
Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit."
I often envision a house when I meditate on Proverbs 14:1. I see a building. I see myself doing the dishes at my kitchen sink, looking out the window at a butterfly in the lilacs. I wonder what I'm thinking about, even though I already know. And then I see my imaginary neighbor tearing her house down board-by-board. She's angry and frustrated and talking out loud at no one in particular.
I know in my heart that the scripture speaks of the wise woman who emulates the Proverbs 31 woman we all love to cringe at. She builds her house, supplying all of its needs. But as I thought upon that verse today, another thought came to me.
Ez has been crying every time he's corrected lately. I started noticing it a few months ago. I mentioned it to Vic last night. And Vic had a talk with him about using the correct emotional response for the correct emotions. I reminded my young son that God corrects those He loves. I want him to understand that correction is a good thing, and we do so out of our love for him. It doesn't always mean he's in trouble or misbehaving.
I thought about the power of our words. The power of life and death is in our tongues, the Word says. We can build up the members of our house with encouraging words, kind words, words softly spoken. Or we can tear them down with harsh, spiteful, mean-spirited words.
Even our tone reflects in our speech. Saying something kind with a sour tone conveys the bitterness in our heart we may be trying to cover up with words. It doesn't work. The receiver of our words can hear right through them.
In thinking back on building my house, I'm not building a physical foundation with a roof over our heads. I'm building the lives of my spouse and my children. Or I'm tearing them down. It's a pretty convicting thought.
What about you? Do you build your house with edifying words? Or do you tear it down with negativity? It's something to consider...
Photo Copyright 2011 Alycia W. Morales
Yes, that's one of those verses that is always convicting when I read it.
ReplyDeleteIn the NT it says that the person who is able to bridle their tongue, the same is a perfect person. I'm not there yet, by any stretch of the imagination. It also says that the tongue is the smallest member, but the most unruly and causes the most damage. =( Sometimes I get depressed thinking about having a change in my tongue...but I know that He is faithful...as we commit it to Him and repent, He will continue to change us.
Thanks for a great post today.
Anita,
ReplyDeleteI love the book of James! There's so much we can learn about our hearts, our words, and the power of God in there! Thanks for your input! I think we've all got a long way to go, but I know I'm thankful for God and His patience with me! :)