Proverbs – Day 26
Scripture: Proverbs 26
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.
Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly.
Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.
A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”
Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.
Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Devotional:
In every aisle in every grocery store there are racks of tabloids that tantalize customers with page after page of gossip. Every celebrity relationship snafu, addiction, or fashion faux pas is held up for ridicule and shame (even if it’s fiction, which it usually is). But celebrities aside, gossip can tear friends apart, destroy trust and reputations, and start fights.
So why do we spread and listen to gossip? Why are we fascinated by the misery of others? For one thing, dwelling on the misfortune or misdeeds of another helps us avoid looking at our own weaknesses. Spreading bad news about someone else helps us forget (if only for the moment) the woes we’re dealing with ourselves. And listening to a gossip provides the same level of escape. This is why Solomon says in this chapter that “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” (v. 22) It’s so much easier to judge others and put them down than it is to “take the plank out of your own eye” (see Matt 7:1-5)!
Now that we’ve identified why we’re drawn to gossip, let’s look at the consequences. We’ve read a lot about how our words can have an impact on others in both positive and negative ways. Gossiping betrays someone’s trust twice over. First, you tell a story that is for that person to share and before they’re ready to share it. Second, in doing so, you invite others to judge and mock the person without knowing all of the facts and without extending kindness and grace. And since much gossip is partly, if not completely, made up to spitefully smear someone’s reputation, much of gossip is lying! “Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.” (Prov. 10:18) The object of your gossip is reduced to a source of entertainment. So it makes sense that “a gossip separates close friends” and betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” (Prov 16:28; 11:13) Is it any wonder, then, that Solomon plainly says to avoid a gossip and “anyone who talks too much”? (Prov 20:19)
While you may think of gossip as a “lesser sin,” in his rebuke to the Romans, Paul included gossip as a kind of “wickedness, evil, greed and depravity” along with “envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice” and lumped those who gossip in with “slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful.” (Rom 1:29-30). Avoid the temptation to gossip, acknowledge your own shortcomings without self-hate, and be a trustworthy person that others can turn to in confidence.
Key Verse:
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” ~ Proverbs 26:22
Questions:
- Have you gossiped about someone recently?
- Has someone ever spread gossip about you? How did you respond?
