"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." —Proverbs 25:11 (ESV)
Sylvia Plath (1932–1963), the famous American poetess, was careful never to let writer’s block get in her way. According to one of her biographers, Sylvia devised a simple, but sure-fire plan to combat the tyranny of the blank page while staying at the Yaddo Artist Colony in upstate New York—Two lines a day. Two GOOD lines a day, to be more precise. This was the daily quota she imposed upon herself in the pursuit of honing her literary craft. If she managed to write more . . . terrific! But she refused to accept anything less than two [good] lines a day. After all, she was compelled to write confessionally and cathartically, not carelessly.
Obviously, Plath had an appreciation for the art of selection. Quality over quantity. It was a priority in her life. Her poetry—her livelihood—depended upon the rhythm and syntax of her words; and so, she was committed to choosing them carefully.
The Christian, likewise, is to be careful with the words that he or she chooses to express. Christ warned His followers in Matthew 12:36–37 (ESV) that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Proverbs 25:11 encourages the reader to esteem “words fitly spoken” the same as one might esteem the world’s finest in home-decor. Positive and uplifting words are like luxurious pieces of art . . . priceless! Scripture reminds us that speaking the right words at the right time in the right way offers the promise of eternal rewards. So choose your words wisely. Communicate them kindly. As Solomon puts it: “From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good” (Proverbs 12:14 ESV).
—Ron Metheny
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