March 25: Proverbs 25:15 "A Gentle Tongue"

Proverbs 25:15    Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

Often, it takes time for something we desire to take place. That is where persistence pays off. Even the “powers that be” can be persuaded with consistent persistence. I once read where time and patience are two of the greatest forces not only in nature, but also in relationships.

The second part of this “couplet” verse (this is what scholars call “2 lessons in one verse) deals with our tongue. (The wise/unwise use of the tongue is found throughout all 31 chapters of Proverbs.)

“A gentle tongue can break a bone” is a reminder that persistence/consistence with our speech is also powerful.

In a former life, I was a high school principal. I once had one of my supervisors remark, “Curt, you can tell someone to go to hell and make them glad they’re going there.”

I’m not sure what kind of compliment (if any) that is!  I believe what she meant is that I was learning that persuasion is not screaming, ranting, or throwing a fit, but using that “gentle tongue” to persuade.

I’m 53 now and still have so much to learn about the gentle tongue.

My prayer for today is simple:  “Lord, teach me to be persistently consistent in all I do, and help me have a gentle tongue even in confrontation. Amen.”