YOU REVEAL YOURSELF to be a fool the minute you open your mouth. I am not quite sure why this is so, but the fool must tell everyone his offense and why he was so insulted. Is it because they feel “wronged” and must justify themselves to others who don’t even know the situation? Are they so insecure they cannot receive an insult without defending, deflecting or denying? Either it’s true or not true. Why do they feel the need to spread their offense? Does it make them feel good about themselves to let everyone else know they were “wronged”?
“A fool’s wrath is quickly and openly known, but a prudent man ignores an insult.”
Proverbs 12:16
I suppose there’s multiple answers to the “why’s”. In my early days of my Christian walk, I didn’t know quite how to handle an insult. It took me a while to figure things out, but I didn’t share my grievance with others. Mostly because I am an introvert. This has helped me to be silent much of my life and guard my tongue, “Even the fool is counted as wise when he holds his tongue”. Yet, I still had to control what I thought and allowed into my heart.
Get an offense into your heart and it will destroy you. I had to ask myself why I was so offended? Either it was true or not true. If it is true, I need to own it and receive correction. If it is not true, I need to just let it go. Offenses create bitterness in the heart and bitterness will defile you. Back to the tongue. The Greek word for “slander” is “diabolos”. You guessed it, the Slanderer, the Devil. The other word for “slanderer” is “blasphemia”. I’m sure you can guess what this means as well. What Scripture displays is that the tongue of the fool is akin to the serpent- accusing others, backbiting, not just spreading gossip and lies, but promoting division by spreading your offense.
YOU are aiding Satan when you tell other people your offense.
One of my favorite Scriptures is found in Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 “Do not give heed to everything that is said, lest you hear your servant cursing you– For often your own heart knows that you have likewise cursed others.”
People are so prideful and haughty. I’m warning you: your tongue will destroy you if you do not get it under control. Put on your big girl panties and go and talk to the person whom you feel you were insulted by. Only the cowardly talk to others instead of the person they need to. It could just be you heard wrong and now everyone knows about it. Maybe you need to learn how to receive a rebuke? David said, “let the righteous man smite me. It is a kindness”. It’s a kindness from the Lord when I’m rebuked and corrected. If you cause another to eye their brethren in Christ differently, then shame on you. You will give an account to God. Where’s your fear of the Lord?
”The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up”Ecclesiastes 10:12
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