A word fitly spoken is like APPLES OF GOLD in a setting of silver: Proverbs 25v11
Today we continue our studies on wisdom in the Book of Proverbs chapter 13 and look at verse 23: “The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent and their lips promote instruction. Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”. Don’t you want to be someone whose words enrich your hearers? Words that not only heal, but words that are sweet and leave the hearers with a craving for more? People who are healers of broken souls and speak words that bring joy and love into those we interact with. Gracious words that add value to the hearer are the outcome of righteous hearts that are guided by Godly wisdom. In our materialistic, secular and competitive society it is not easy to be gracious in defeat and not be condescending in victory – so we need a spiritual perspective. 55 years ago the world was astounded when Dr Chris Barnard did a heart transplant which was previously thought impossible. Spiritually, God can do the impossible by doing a heart transplant on us if we recognise that we have a sinful, diseased heart and submit to His surgery: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36v26).
But maybe you consider that your heart is already a heart of flesh: you are kind, generous and loving. Friends, it is all a question of perception. To God “all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3v23). Even the righteous Pharisee, Nicodemus, was told he needed to be “born again” or have a spiritual heart transplant. But maybe you know somebody who has been “born again” and you are not impressed with their level of honesty, love, joy, compassion, etc and are put off Christianity as a result. What you have experienced is their old nature trying to reject the new heart and the immunosuppressant medication (God’s Word and Holy Spirit) takes time to fight the rejection. All I can say is look at them differently and be thankful that they have a new heart because if they still had their old heart of stone they would be absolutely intolerable, nasty and selfish people. Hopefully with time they will mellow as they adjust to their new heart and embrace the truths in the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to develop in their lives His fruits of love, joy, patience, etc.
Don’t judge Christianity by the lifestyle of some Christians, but rather look at the life of Christ whose words and actions brought healing to all He came into contact with.
God Bless
Graeme Greenwood