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Scripture Reference: Proverbs 10:21

The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.

A righteous person lives for the benefit others and not only to please himself. For this reason, his words too will benefit others. I believe that one of the most foolish ways to live is to live only for oneself and one’s own agendas. Research shows that those who help others help themselves. This confirms the truth of what Jesus said all along: There are more blessings attached to giving than there are in receiving.

Various studies show that one of the ways to address depression is to encourage sufferers to do good to others. Many who have reached out to others found that they did not only help the people they intended to assist, but they have experienced great personal gratification from the action of helping others. They got more than they bargained for. They handled stressful situations better when they helped others. Doing good makes one feel good. So, being unselfish benefits not only others but oneself also.

This Proverb addresses something that comes before our deeds: Our words. Words can tear down or build up. It is up to the speaker to determine how he will use his words. It requires no skill or real effort to break down with words and therefore people are more inclined to use words in a negative way –it’s just much easier to destroy than to build up. To build up we need skill and patience. The righteous person can use words in such a way that it not only benefits himself (life and death is in the power of the tongue and depending on how we use the tongue we can either have life or death). A righteous person, whose heart has been sanctified by God, uses words to benefit others as well.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

A fool doesn’t care about learning from others. He knows it all and this attitude delays and even stunts growth in his character. He cares even less to learn things that will benefit others and consequently his lack of sense often results in his own ruin and destruction. “Fools die for lack of sense.” They very often have nobody to blame for their troubles but themselves.

Related articles

• Blessings Fill the Thoughts of the Righteous (thoughtsonscripture.com)
• Seeking Wisdom: The Great Danger of Pride (atruediscipleofchrist.wordpress.com)
• The Tongue is Like a Fire! by Tammy Bolt Werthem (iwokeupyesterday.com)