Let’s look at Proverbs 18 today to study how to choose wise words, choose to keep the peace and how to choose our friends wisely. It really does make a huge difference in our life when we trust the friends we have and know that they are good for us and us for them. When we speak, it is necessary to choose our words wisely as well. We keep ourselves from trouble when we discern what we say before we say anything at all.
Reading through each of these verses, I find how well they apply to keeping the peace, choosing wise words and choosing wise friends. For instance, in verse 14, “The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Our spirits can handle getting sick, but it truly hurts our spirit when someone is unkind. This can apply to a person who is trying to start an argument as well as someone who is just being nasty in what they say to us or what we say to others. When it comes to our friendships too, do we find a person who continues to hurt us, to be a quality friend? Is it someone we should spend a lot of time with?
Choosing To Keep The Peace
I love several verses in this area. Verse 2 is great! People who are foolish cause division, because they don’t try to understand other people and give other people an opportunity to speak. They love to give their own opinions! Verse 13 states that if we answer someone before we even listen to them, it is foolish and shameful. Look at how many verses pertain to people who are prideful, or “haughty” and cause division, also state that they “air their own opinions”, “bring strife” and are foolish. These characteristics go hand in hand, don’t they. It is easy for us all as sinful human beings to be proud, not humble!
Verse 2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.
Verse 3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
Verse 6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.
Verse 12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.
Verse 13 To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.
Verse 14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Verse 15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
Verse 18 Casting the lot settles disputes
and keeps strong opponents apart.
Verse 19 A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
Verse 23 The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
Choosing Wise Words
The verse that stands out the most to me is Verse 21. “The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit.” How true this is! We can destroy or give life just by the way we speak to people.
Verse 4 The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
Verse 6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.
Verse 7 The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare to their very lives.
Verse 8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
Verse 14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Verse 15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
Verse 21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Verse 23 The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
Choosing Friends Wisely
Do you consider a friend, someone who is selfish and wants everything done their way? Is someone who starts regular quarrels, someone to hang around? What will they do to your spirit? How will they make you feel? In reverse, how about if you do this to other people? These are all good questions to ask yourself when you consider what and who is a good friend to spend time with. I mentioned verse 14 earlier. People really can crush each other’s spirit. Verse 24 states that an unreliable friend will come to ruin. It will destroy us when our friendships are bad. When friends have a negative impact on each other, both lose.
Verse 1 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
Verse 24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Verse 14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?