Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Summary: Solomon teaches us the path that pleases God. It also happens to be the same path that leads us away from evil and its consequences.
Have you ever heard the phrase “potty mouth”? I have. I probably deserved it, too!
Sometimes we say things we shouldn’t. Not that we should not use colorful language. Sometimes strong words are appropriate for certain situations. However, some things are never appropriate for the one who fears God.
What are they?
Well, one of them is putting things in your mouth that don’t belong there. Solomon gives us two examples in this passage; perversity and corruption.
“Perversity” is defined as being contrary or behaving in an unreasonable or unacceptable way. “Corrupt” is defined as acting dishonestly, being evil, or being morally depraved. Both definitions have something in common. They both depend on some kind of standard of behavior that they are measured against.
What happens when you don’t have a standard of behavior? Well then, there is no perversity or corruption because everything is okay.
If that sounds familiar, it should. As our world drifts farther and farther away from God’s Word, we lose sight of what we use to measure our behavior. The good news is that God’s Word is still here. God has not left us nor has he forsaken us (Deuteronomy 31: 6, Hebrews 13:5).
If we study God’s Word, God paints a picture in our minds of what reasonable and acceptable behavior is. In the same way, God teaches us what is moral and good.
Perversity is knowing what is right and twisting it into something not right. Corruption is knowingly taking advantage of others. Depravity is … well, the list is long on this one.
Want to change the world and make it a better place? Help people become aware of God. Love them as God loves them. Don’t judge people who are ignorant. Love them so they will listen to you and teach them so that they know and understand what is right and good. In the meantime, “keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.”
Application: Abide by God’s standards, not the world’s.
Food for Thought: How does what we say reveal who we are?
Words mean so much. So many scriptures about words that come out of your mouth. I’ll let the bible speak for me. Matthew 15:18 Psalm 19:14 Ephesians 4:29. Words can show what some people really are like in Matthew 12:34 I always thought this is a sweet verse Proverbs 16:24. The type of words that come out our mouth can show if you are encouraging to others if you are humble, understanding, kind, gental and loving or if your the type of a person that has to demoralize others to make yourself feel better.
I just appreciate the kind words of fellow believers that reflect Jesus’s character and even the not so nice ones that are needed out of love.
(Link to all T’s passages here. -je)
I shall only add Proverbs 10:19, 20 to T’s list.
Again we see the connection of the heart with our mouth/words.
Tim,
Thank you! Well said!
Great verses Mr.”T”.
Thank you J for adding the links.
No problem! I love how your knowledge of the Word is growing. There is power in those words, Tim. Power to slay all of the dragons that the king of serpents can throw at us.
How does what we say reveal who we are? The words that come out of our mouth are a clear indicator of what we are thinking about. Mark Twain once said .. “it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to talk and remove all doubt.” I think in the same token, despite what people wear or how they look, once they start speaking you find out what they are all about. Do we speak in humility with the confidence of Christ’s gift, or do we speak in pride and fear?
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Chris,
You are right. I generally give people the benefit of the doubt – that is I presume that they are speaking the truth in an open, honest way. In time, their words prove true, or they demonstrate something else.
This is a great list of verses starting with T’s list. In Mathew 15: 18 – 19, Jesus tells us that what comes out of the mouth defiles the person because it reveals what is in their heart. But T had that one as well. James 3: 1 – 12 is another passage to add to what is a great list in the comments above.
Matthew 12:34
“… for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
03-01-2022, Proverbs 4:24, How does what we say reveal who we are?
Our tongues are to communicate the condition of our heart. We have been commanded by Jesus Christ to use our tongues in service to God.
What we say to others will be the indication of our level of obedience to His command.
Matthew 28:18-20, Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Ron,
You give us an interesting challenge. It is one thing to let Christ into our hearts, it is another to let him sit in the driver’s seat. It is still another thing to let him be in charge of what we say…
Exactly, imperfect beings serving our Perfect God. We’re not going to become perfect on this earth. We strive to serve in every aspect of our lives, but can’t possibly measure up. The goal is beyond any human effort… no surprise!
We achieve this goal only to the degree we conquer our flesh and allow The Holy Spirit to do His work through Christ in us. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him” God is telling us He has not put any limits to the support He will give, the power He will provide, the relationship we can each have as we live in humble obedience to His will. He is in our corner, rooting for us during every trial as we strive to overcome our flesh and serve Him. It is our reasonable service.
To me, this is extremely humbling and puts my small efforts into prospective. Christ is with me until the end of this age, and I need to take His hand.
I will add, I do believe you are coming along nicely. Keep up the great submission.