Proverbs 8:6. from my lips will come what is right,
Yesterday we saw that Wisdom speaks what is noble. Today we see that she speaks what is right.
If something is right it is just and fair. It is real, not fake or false. It is correct.
Have you ever been listening to someone else talk, maybe they’re telling a story, and you think to yourself, that doesn’t sound right? That sounds made up. Those details don’t line up. This sounds exaggerated. Or maybe you just know that the person is straight up lying.
Wisdom doesn’t make things up. Wisdom doesn’t exaggerate or lie. She doesn’t play favorites or take sides with the way she delivers information. She always says what is right. She is the opposite of the adulteress, Folly from chapter 7, who constantly twists her words to get her way.
Wisdom says what is right because to be wise is to be righteous. Righteousness is extremely important to God. It is doing what is right in every relationship as defined by God’s standard of sacrificial service. Doing what benefits the other person over what benefits yourself. The righteous disadvantage themselves in order to advantage the other person. Therefore, right words will never seek to give oneself the advantage. Exaggeration. Manipulation. Gaslighting. Defensiveness. Discouraging. Hurtful.
Simply put, there is no righteousness without right words. Righteous deeds with lying, twisted communication is not the fear of the Lord, just as godly words with inaction is not true righteousness (James 2:15-16).
Thankfully, Jesus Christ our Wisdom does our talking for us before God. His intercession for us is always full of right words. If left to our own moral ability to always speak what is right, none of us would be able to stand. How many twisted things have you said just this week alone? How many white lies have been uttered to advantage yourself? How many details “forgotten?” How many hurtful words have “slipped” out?
Praise God there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ and in our union with him. Christ alone has always spoken what is right, and he has stood in our place, bearing the sins of our lips on the cross. Not only that, he has, by the Spirit, placed his very own words into our mouths. Not only are we forgiven in Christ for every unrighteous word ever spoken, but we are also now empowered to speak righteous words. His words. His truth. His encouragement. His grace. His love. In Christ we are wise. In Christ we are righteous. In Christ we can utter what is right from our lips without fear of earthly consequences, for in Christ the heavenly advantage far outweighs any earthly disadvantage we my fear.
You: How have your words been lately? Take stock. Do you speak right words?
You in Christ: How does knowing that you have a heavenly advantage allow you to use words that are true even if it disadvantages you here on Earth?
Christ in you: Be aware of what you say and how you say it today. Does it sound like Jesus?
Pray: Father, you have given me the righteousness of your Son, including his righteous words. Help me to say what is right, even to my own disadvantage, trusting you to lift me up. Amen.
To Live is Christ 