Proverbs 5:1-2 (ESV)
1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
The father urges the son to pay attention to his wisdom and his life experience. The focus of this charge concerns the son’s speech. The son must take great care concerning what he says. The wise are cautious with their words. They don’t speak impulsively, driven by emotional reactions to circumstances; instead, they thoughtfully process the attitudes of their hearts through the Scripture and line up their speech under God’s wisdom. Careless words can do so much damage. And once the words are out there, they cannot be taken back. We can repent and seek forgiveness when we have spoken wrongly, but often the consequences of our careless speech linger for months and years. May we grow in our ability to quiet our hearts when emotions run high. Let’s ask God to help us think and then think again before we speak today.