Blessings Granted Because of Gracious Speech

“Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech will have the kind as a friend.”

~Proverbs 22:11 (NRSV).

Some Scripture can seem lacking in today’s context. For instance, we’re caught thinking, “Who’s the ‘king’ in my life?”

There are many masters we serve, and some in quite highfalutin positions.

There are ‘kings’ all through society. Some we work for, others are in key authority, and many we’ll never meet or have the uncommon pleasure of getting nervous around.

But a promise of God’s pertains to this truth:

If we’ll invest with the Lord toward the acquisition of a true heart — one that can be relied upon — that heart of ours will be trusted in fine company. For a heart such as this will found high-accounted truths, and see them uttered faithfully; it will not be given to deception easily.

Truth is the Test

One is an outcome of the other. The pure-hearted person prefers only to speak graciously, for their heart and mind are betwixt to the truth.

The heart like this finds truth at all points. It can, and the person can, be trusted.

Only a person who is trusted will find themselves in the position of an advisor to the royals of life. This sense of privilege is as uncommon as there are truthful-to-a-point witnesses. Truth is seen, here, as a test. And we’re tested by no better means than via our speech. It’s the key performance indicator of a person’s character. Lies have us in an instant if we don’t have the skill and fibre of character to resist strongly.

Wise Ambition

We all have aspirations in our vocational lives.

These are not unhealthy if they’re kept at balance, and the yearning’s borne out of a genuine desire to serve. Who we serve, and how, are key questions.

If we cannot be king, the next best option is to serve a king, understanding that such privilege carries with it none of their kingly responsibilities. That of itself is a great relief and blessing.

Unfathomable Benefits

The spiritual blessings of high office — and this is not a quantifiable premise — are great indeed; unfathomable, in fact.

These are seen from the view of retrospect.

Sure, there are material blessings, but the spiritual blessings are the things that a person home to a pure heart really desires. They can’t be named or counted. They just are.

This is the wonderful life that God provides the morally obedient person; a life full of the best (non-material) riches, long life that’s full of experience, and appropriate honour (Proverbs 3:16).

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.