Solomon’s Advice for Bloggers

A project I’m working on has had me spending some time in the Proverbs this weekend. The wise sayings recorded are a wonderful gift to us and deserve greater attention than I think I give them at times. In my reading the other night, I was stunned at the practical warnings about how we use our words and how they relate to particularly well to blogging:

1. The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool. (Proverbs 10:18)
2. When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. (Proverbs 10:19)
3. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. (Proverbs 10:20)
4. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. (Proverbs 10:21)
5. An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. (Proverbs 12:13)
6. From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him. (Proverbs 12:14)
7. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18)
8. From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. (Proverbs 13:2)
9. Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. (Proverbs 13:3)
10. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. (Proverbs 15:2)
11. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4)
12. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. (Proverbs 18:21)
13. Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. (Proverbs 21:23)

With the first quarter of 2012 nearly gone, it might be wise for Christian bloggers to consider how well we measure up to this wise use of our words. The proverbs above exhort us to restraint, to choose carefully about what we will speak, to strive to be gentle and wise with our words. Those who are rash and senseless with their words, the Bible calls fools. While none of us are perfect and all of us miss the mark on one occasion or another, we must not take the message of these proverbs for granted. Instead, let’s spend some time today, tomorrow and this week considering how we can allow Solomon’s words to drive us to glorify Christ in our approach blogging and commenting.