What kind of "fruit" do you speak?


Proverbs 13:2--I love this proverb. It's ripe with imagination of all the possible "good things" that can come with speaking.

But what type of speaking are we talking about? Golly. All sorts of things. Wisdom. Compassion. Correction. Hope. Love. Knowledge. Discernment. Understanding. Good News. Truth. Kindness. So many more.

What these topics have in common is that if we speak them to others, we could benefit from wonderful fruit in return.

I remember my nephew and I eating at an Israeli restaurant who had a chef from Lebanon. She was Muslim, and boy, could she cook! My nephew's father is from a Middle Eastern country so he was pretty fluent in Arabic.

After our delicious meal, I complimented the chef. She nodded and smiled politely. However, my nephew spoke Arabic and complimented her in a way that was culturally meaningful. Something like it made him feel warm and grateful. She blushed and giggled. A few minutes later, my nephew dined on delicious baklava, compliments of the chef.

It made me think about how the fruit of our lips, when combined with a sincere effort to connect with someone, could produce a surprising result.

What if our words of sympathy are accompanied by a card or a plate of cookies? What if we share a difficult truth in love? What if we take the time to listen with our heart and never say a word?

We won't always dine on a delicious treat, but we may enjoy good things that last a lifetime--like friendship, trust, respect.

May the fruit of our mouth produce good things, my friends.

Proverbs 13:2--From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good things, but the treacherous crave violence. Tree of Life Bible Society Tree of Life Version - TLV #tlvbible #tlvproverbs

[WATCH Tree of Life Bible Society's CEO, Daniah Greenberg and me, Terri Gillespie, Author dig a little deeper with this proverb. Check us out at Tree of Life Bible Society, Monday through Friday, LIVE at 8:30am EST. Watch previous episodes there as well. Stay wise, my friends!]

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