The Righteous Have Understanding and Use Discretion – (Proverbs 11:12-13)

Daily Bible Study
The heart of the righteous has compassion and mercy, along with understanding that all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God. This brings wisdom and guidance and one of the by-products of that spiritual growth is discretion and better control of our tongues. Through the power of God in our lives and in our hearts we gain the ability not to gossip, not to spread rumors. We also gain the ability to speak not out of emotions, but out of thoughtful consideration tempered with grace. Patients and control are part of wisdom. And our spiritual maturity is displayed when we learn how to not to act out of passion; but out of the Lord's guidance. The Bible also tells us, "love covers a multitude of sins." Therefore, what we say and what we do should be out of love and concern for those around us. This is nothing that can be easily done out of our own will power. To consistently place the needs of others ahead of ourselves because of our love for them, can only be accomplished by the power of God working in us.

This means are intentions are always in the best interest of all concerned as it relates to eternity. And through our spiritual growth governed by the Holy Spirit, we are to handle confidential matters appropriately and justly. This is contrasted with the talebearer who purposely uses what they know to create strife, turmoil and chaos through gossip. Dear Christian we have to be careful, these verses are not referring to covering up sin, hiding wrong doing or upholding injustice! On the contrary, they refer to handling sin appropriately, correcting wrong and bringing justice as required, as opposed to using other people's sin as a means for their destruction or as an excuse to better ourselves and our circumstances. These verses speak of our responsibility to put others ahead of ourselves, look out for the good of all people involved as we strive to live in harmony with those around us. We must remember we are all called to use the time, talents and resources God has given us to help those in need and spread the Gospel of Christ to those who are lost in this fallen world. What we say matters to God, and how we say it gives evidence to our relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord.