Proverbial Hump Day: Proverbs 13:2

The faithless desire violence

Have you noticed? We live in a violent world.

A faithless world.

According to Proverbs 13:2, these two—violence and faithlessness—are connected.

But first, what about good things?

Source: Pexels

The Fruit of the Lips

The first part of this proverb indicates that good things come from the metaphorical lips. Yes, I said “metaphorical.”

The lips represent speech. When people speak good things, they adhere to good things. Speaking of honorable things leads to good experiences. The New Testament testifies to this spiritual truth.

The Apostle James wrote about taming the tongue, calling it a “fire” and a “world of wickedness” among members of the body. But he also said that “if anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.” That is what we aspire to.

The Apostle Peter exhorted believers to refrain from deceitful speech if they love life and want to “see good days.”

In Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul outlined the fruit of the spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (emphasis mine). Against such things there is no law.

You see, self-control is at the heart of all speech, and good speech leads to good things. Are you watching what you say, and how you say it?

The Desire of the Faithless

We have a tendency to believe that all sin comes from Satan. That simply is not true. James, again, bears out the truth when he says …

But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

It is not just the heathen, the unbeliever, the fallen man who must watch his footsteps. It is we Christians who must be most watchful of all. Our own desires can lead us astray. Our internal struggles can cause us to stumble, taking us down the path of sin toward spiritual death. After all, whatever is not of faith is sin.

Christians are called to be at peace with all men, but how can we be at peace when we are at odds with our Father in heaven?

Men are violent because they are faithless. Whether that violence manifests itself as domestic abuse, war, or just “boys being boys” (and, by the way, it applies to women too), the bottom line is a lack of faith in the God who delivers peace. Personally, the moment I felt the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life, at that moment, I was more at peace than I’ve ever been. I knew God was real and there was no denying it.

Are you at peace with God? Have you cast aside your violent tendencies and replaced it with faith in the God of peace?

Allen Taylor is the author of I Am Not the King.