The Fruit of The Lips

Words

Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.

John Adams 1735-1826, Second President of the USA

Prov 18:19-21
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel. With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. NASU

Orson Scott Card, an American Author, has shared with all one of his most treasured possessions, and it is a treasure that we all have the ability to possess. Let us hear these words well today, “Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken.” Isn’t this true, and shouldn’t we all have a closet full of these prized and most valuable treasures?

The fact is that there is a fruit that is produced by our tongue, and there is a product of the lips that is shared with those around us that also impacts our own lives, as well as theirs. The fruit that is produced by the tongue is often one that we like to cast on others, but one that we hardly think of being something that we will have to partake, and eating our own words has a bitter taste. I concur with the statement of a friend who told me, “I like to eat my crow while it is still warm.”

I think that there are so many contentions around us today. Disagreements and bitterness that we carry from year to year are robbing us of the freshness of life, and keeping many in the bars of a citadel, and away from the freedom of walking in a fresh peace that can be a product that we may produce within ourselves. Aristophanes, the Greek Satirist, left us these words, “By words the mind is winged.”

What am I saying? I am saying that the same lips that cause scars can also heal them, if we will be humbled and allow our lips to produce the healing fruit of mercy, and forgiveness. The Word of God says to us in Proverbs 15:4 “A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.” There are so many crushed spirits in our families and churches today, and most are the product of harsh and bitter, judgmental tongues.

If you have not started a closet of words not spoken, start one today, and if your closet is not very full, start adding more to your collection. I am sure that we all need more of this treasure to be able to experience the freedom of The Lord, and to be able to escape the bars our tongues can place us behind… God Bless.

Pastor William