The Benefit of Listening
by Lynn Wallace

"Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge, but a fool layeth open his folly" (Prov. 13:16).

A boil rose up on the back of my neck. I sighed and complained to Grace, my coworker. It left me powerless to do anything about it. When I went to the chiropracter, he squeezed it and an ugly mess came out. Oh what relief!

Likewise, ugly and angry words fester and hurt others. My words do not always help and heal, but sometimes explode.

One of these times, we came out of a laundromat in Dallas, Texas. I forgot my husband's uniforms. Poisonous words popped out of my mouth. Like a cancer, they infected my husband, Leon, and daughter, Lynette, as we drove home.

In such cases a prudent (careful) woman keeps silent. Words like, "I'm sorry that I forgot your uniforms," calm life's turbulent seas. I had forgotten God's Word as well as the uniforms. No healing balm came to our family until I confessed, "I said hurtful words," and then asked forgiveness. The balm of Gilead healed our pain.

A prudent woman understands how the other person feels. She deals with him with understanding and knowledge. Contrariwise, the fool breaks the law, regards not the feelings of others and falls hard.

Are we prudent or indiscreet? Do we deal with knowledge in all of life's situations or do we lay open our folly? Do we keep quiet and listen to others or do we open wide our mouths and shut our ears?

Dear Jesus: Please help me to guard my mouth. Keep me from hurtful words that fester like an ugly sore. Give me wisdom in the use of my tongue. Amen.



Eighty of my articles and two curriculum packages found publication. My first book, Our Lifeship: Studies for Proverbs appeared in 2008. My website is www.writingfrommyheart.com. The copyright to this article is 2010 Lynn Wallace. (The example used is in my book.)

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