Truth #207 - Our words matter to us as much as to others - Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:2
From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good,
but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.

Truth - Our words matter to us as much as to others

Have you ever stuck your foot in your mouth?  That phrase is typically associated with someone who said something they regret and wish they could take back.  We understand the problem when our mouth talks and says some things that gets into trouble.   Young children who don't know the truth of that statement have a long struggle in front of them until they do.  What Solomon is telling us in this proverb is the opposite of that truth.   Just like a poor use of the tongue can get you into trouble, the good use of it provides plenty of good.  Using your mouth to do good things reveals the content of the heart and a good heart leads to a good life.   On the opposite side of this truth is the second line of the proverb.   A treacherous heart breeds violence.   The tongue is simply the bucket that comes from the well.   A heart that is good will use their tongue to promote and to build and to encourage.   When we have a pure heart we use our mouths in a good way and that allows us to enjoy a good life: The fruit of the pure man's mouth enjoys good as opposed to the treacherous heart that breeds violence.

You pick fruit from trees and vines, mostly.   There is nothing like a fresh apple, orange, grape or other fruit direct from the branch handing it to you.   You are refreshed and can have great enjoyment.   You might enjoy it, but the tree or vine doesn't.   Yet, that is what this proverb tells us.   This proverb tells us that we, like a tree, produce fruit from our mouths (fruit being used as a picture of the words that come from our tongue).    However, it doesn't say that we will benefit the hearer (although other proverbs do say that).   It says that the person speaking will benefit from the words that flow from their mouth.   Solomon goes so far as to compare these self-benefiting words with the evil desires of the treacherous.  Just as those desires are violent (not specifying who they are violent against), so too the words we produce that are good tasting are good for us, as well as them.   When we produce good from our mouths we can be assured that we will derive some enjoyment from them ourselves.  It could be simply by observing the response to your words and that gives you some enjoyment.    It could be because, after sharing some great, fruitful words, they, in turn, bless you in some way.   We aren't told how they find the enjoyment.   We are only told we will enjoy something good ... just as the opposite is true ... evil desire will produce violence.   We have a choice in what words we use to speak to others.   We can produce joy in their lives and, in ours, in return.

Note what our Savior said on this same subject:

Matthew 12:33-37
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”