• Christian Living,  Old Testament

    Communication Principles from Proverbs

    Communication is important. More importantly, how communication is done is important. Jesus himself said that “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matt 12:34b). It is underappreciated in our culture that what we say—whether verbally, over text, or on social media—reveals our hearts. It is a good and important exercise to evaluate our own communication and see how we line up. The ancient world prized wisdom, specifically the discussion of how to act in daily life. Unsurprisingly, Proverbs provides some of the most pithy and helpful statements on how a righteous man or woman ought to communicate. In many cases, Proverbs will contrast the righteous and their communication style with that of the non-righteous. What follows are a few evaluatory questions we can draw from Proverbs. Does my communication bring good benefit to others? The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,But the mouth of…