Scripture Reading:

Proverbs 12:23-25

Proverbs 12:23

A prudent man conceals knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness. 

The considerations of what to say, when to say it, and how to say it remains the biggest challenge in our day-to-day lives. Most people will say the first thing that comes to mind in order to keep the conversation going, and to make certain there will be no awkward moments of silence. But not all knowledge (or lack of knowledge) is to be shared. What we do not say is just as important as what we do say!

Holding back on divulging some fact or explanation concerning some matter or other may be the wisest thing at the moment.

Before speaking, it would be prudent to ask ourselves a few probing questions: “Will this only confuse this person? Is there something else I need to say that could be more edifying to this person with whom I am speaking? Am I speaking out of pride so that others will see how smart I am? Is this discussion just more striving for preeminence, the sort of thing we would see among those who love the pride of life?” A wise man will carefully measure his words with a well-calibrated measuring spoon.

Proverbs 12:24

The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. 

The Proverbs present us with both the descriptive and the prescriptive—or what is and what ought to be. Consider, for example the law of gravity. It is a law, not in the sense that it expresses something that ought to be, but in the sense that it describes the way things are. If a person jumps off the roof of a twenty-story building, he will most certainly fall to the ground. This is the sort of law encoded in this verse: “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule.” What can be said of leaders of nations and corporate businesses? At the very least, these
must be diligent men and women. Those who wish to be influential and accomplish something in life, whether for the kingdom of God or for worldly kingdoms, must be diligent. Busy people get things done.

“But the slothful shall be under tribute.” Since 1900, governments in America and most Western nations have taxed their people to increasingly high proportions of the people’s income. Prior to the year 1900, local and federal governments would take no more than 10% of the people’s income. But now that percentage has grown to levels in excess of 70%! We may blame some of these huge increases on
Marxism and class envy, and that may very well be true. According to this proverb, the root reason why Americans are under much more tribute today is that Americans are “slothful.” It seems their lives are centered around entertainment and “retirement.” This mindset is patently unbiblical and ultimately destructive, and results in a pursuance of security through government programs. As governments redistribute more of the wealth, eventually there is nothing left to
redistribute. Among succeeding generations, parents are less faithful to discipline their children, and children are less and less diligent. Hamstrung by child labor laws and lacking family businesses, there isn’t must work left for children to do. So they are absorbed into an escapist, entertainment culture—where the young people expect to live a carefree life where others will meet their needs. By the year 2008, sociologists found that 70% of young men are not “grown up” by thirty years of age (up from 30% in 1970). These are the generations who will be tyrannized by powerful governments, and they will find
themselves under higher levels of tribute.

Proverbs 12:25

Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop, but a good word makes it glad. 

We speak of concerns that weigh on the heart of a man like weights on a barbell bar resting on the chest of the weight lifter. Typically, these concerns will threaten our physical or spiritual well being. As each concern mounts, the weight upon the heart increases until the man feels as if he is pinned to the ground by all of these weighty concerns. When a man is depressed, he begins to feel helpless and incapable of addressing even the one pound weights on his chest, let alone the ten pound and twenty pound concerns. In short, this fellow loses motivation for life.

What is the remedy for this sad state of affairs? Humanist cultures introduce expensive counseling, psycho-therapy, psychologists, and psychiatrists as the solution. For two hundred dollars per hour, you can hire an expert who is supposed to be able to guide you through the labyrinth of your inner conflicts and mental diseases. Increasingly, the experts is psychological maladies will refer the patients to psychotropic drugs, which work to desensitize them to the reality of their condition. Recent studies published in the US have found as much as ten times more people on these drugs than was the case twenty years ago.

Although most often ignored by the experts, the wise counsel of God’s Word provides a solution to handling our troubles, and that is “a good word.” Could it be that simple? At one time, people had friends. Families lived together in relationships. Church communities, even neighbors, ministered to one another’s needs. The older women nurtured the younger women in these communities. Grandparents lived with their families, instead of being shuffled off to rest homes. We live in what is most likely the loneliest time in all of human history. A good friend with a good word is what millions of people need, because everyone gets discouraged now and then. It is really that simple. If on any given Sunday, every church member looked to encourage a brother or sister with the right word—an encouraging word—there would be no further need for psychologists and psychiatrists. The best word is always to remind our friends that Jesus has come to save, and He is risen from the dead!

Family Discussion Questions:

1. How careful are you with your words? Do you speak the first thing on your mind, or do you pause for a moment and consider what you are about to say?

2. Should we strive to be under tribute or to bear rule over others? Is this a diligent family? How many hours per day should we be working?

3. How often do you offer an encouraging word for your brothers and sisters, especially if you see that someone is discouraged or depressed? Provide several examples of “encouraging words” that would make the heart glad.