Proverbs 15:25-28 – Live and speak rightly

As believers, the goal of our life is to please the LORD. To be sure that we are achieving this goal, we need to keep a check on our attitude and speech. As we have been told earlier that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are inclined toward them. It is important, therefore, that we seek to be numbered among the righteous.

The first thing to cultivate in life is humility. The Bible constantly exhorts us to be humble and not proud, for the LORD hates the proud. It was pride that caused Lucifer, the archangel of God, to fall from grace. So, we can see how much God detests pride. So here in Proverbs 15:25 the author tells us that “The Lord tears down the house of an arrogant person.” In the context, the arrogant person seems to be referring to a person who is prominent but abuses the power he has. By saying that the LORD “protects the property of widows” we get the picture that the arrogant person uses his power to oppress the widows, a reference to people who are weak and in need. God will protect the oppressed and the arrogant person will be removed. This is a call to live humbly.  So, live humbly!

Verse 26 tells us that God also detests wicked people. They are repulsive to Him. Such people scheme through their deceitful words. By saying that “pleasant words are pure to Him (God),” implies that people who are wicked do not use such words. Their words are never kind and pleasant. Hence, they are oppressive to the people and offensive to the Lord. The words of the humble are usually kind, pleasant and fittingly spoken. This is a call to speak rightly. So, speak appropriately!

Verse 27 tells us that greed invites trouble not just to a person but also his household. Whatever wealth that such a person had gained through ill-gotten means never bring peace but trouble. The peaceful existence of his family will be disrupted. On the other hand, a person who refuses bribe will find life pleasant. We need to understand this in the context of people who are in authority, like a judge or magistrate. Such a person can put his power to good use by alleviating the plight of the poor or he can abuse it by accepting bribe to oppress the poor. The crux of verse 27 is to show us that integrity makes life wholesome, abundant, fruitful and fulfilling. This is a call to live honestly. So, live honestly!

Verse 28 suggests that what we say reflects our inner thought. People who walk in integrity always reflect carefully before they speak. They ensure that their words are kind and motivating and helpful. They seek to prevent giving wrong impression and falsehood. So, they think before they speak. The wicked people do not exercise such caution. They speak impulsively, mindlessly and recklessly without considering the impact of their words. Such people often cause great damage. Therefore, we must think before we speak. This is a call to speak carefully. So, speak carefully.