Daily Digest #204

He who restrains his lips is wise. —Proverbs 10:19

My apologies for the lack of post, I was out of the country for the holidays, as most of you know. I spent a week in the remote, yet magnificent, land of Laos :D

Wow, it's almost a year since I posted my very first Daily Digest online! 2008 had been a very blessed year -- numerous lessons learned, countless surprises realized and gifts received. I wish that 2009 would be a much better year for each of us.

Here's the scripture verses from Proverbs 10, as indicated above:

Proverbs 10:11-21

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

12 Hatred stirs up dissension,
but love covers over all wrongs.

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

14 Wise men store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,
but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

16 The wages of the righteous bring them life,
but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life,
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

18 He who conceals his hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

19 When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise.

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
but fools die for lack of judgment.

Looking back at the 203 entries I have written over the past year, I have reflected a lot about tact, a subject/character I realize to be of great importance to me. Sometimes, when we are surrounded by friends whom we have grown to love and be comfortable with, this is one thing that we usually take for granted. We forget to tame our tongues, believing that our friends know us more, and would understand. We joke about different things, often going beyond boundaries, hitting others below the belt. I, myself, am guilty of this, and I am sorry if I have made you feel bad in any way.

But the real point is, whatever we say may have long-term consequences. There's a saying that goes "a person may forget who you are or what you did, but he/she will never forget how you made him/her feel". We may make others feel good or bad without knowing it.

For this, let us pray. May we be more sensible this year. May we develop forgiveness, and at the same time, a heart of repentance. May we tame our tongues, and learn to speak of goodness and wisdom instead. Pray always.