God’s Word for Today 24 Oct, 2024 12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. 13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered. - Prov 11:12-13 ESV TALK LESS, LISTEN MORE The act of belittling others is a foolish idea. ‘Belittling’ implies contempt or a sneering form of spite. A derogatory attitude towards other people causes friction and hard feelings. A good response is to remain silent instead of deriding others. ‘Whoever restrains his lips is prudent.’[Prov 10:19] “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”[Prov 29:20] A hasty word is the result of poor listening attitude. We should develop an attitude of loving listening. The purpose is to understand and minister the other person in love. As James says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”[Jas 1:19,20] God gives us one mouth to speak less and two ears to listen more. Moreover, slandering others is a show of how wicked a person’s heart is. A slanderer couldn’t keep the secrets of others he knows. Instead, he would weaponize these secrets to destroy them. He is not trustworthy and unloving. The godly, however, is motivated by love. He is dependable not disparage others and violate their trust. He will keep the sensitive information he knows realizing that spreading it would not be edifying. Their heart is pure so that their tongue is kept in check. As Peter says, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” This is not condoning the sin but dealing it wisely in love, seeking for the person’s best welfare. Let’s reflect for a moment. Have you developed the art of loving listening? Have we been listening more and talking less toward our kids and colleagues? Indeed, silence is golden. It’s wise oftentimes to say nothing. Even the fish is safe when she keeps her mouth shut. More words, more mistakes; less words, less mistakes. There is wisdom in silence. Watch in YouTube: https://youtu.be/lPuuvKVODmg Listen and FOLLOW us on our podcast Spotify: http://bit.ly/glccfil_spotify Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/glccfil-applepcast Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/glccfil-googlepcast Audible Podcast: http://bit.ly/glccfil-audible Follow us on various media platforms: https://gospellightfilipino.contactin.bio #gospellightfilipino #godswordfortoday #bookofProverbs