“Smart people know how to….” How would you finish this sentence? Take a moment to think about it. One of the smartest people ever, Solomon, finished it like this: “Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget” (Proverbs 19:11). Unexpected, isn’t it? Solomon defines true wisdom as the ability to control the one thing the Bible says “no human being can tame” (James 3:8). Often, wisdom lies more in what isn’t said than in what is. Human nature drives us to blurt out thoughts or react angrily because we think we know better. Yet, Solomon points us to a higher way—the way of forbearance and patience. It’s a reminder of the poem my mom loved to share: “A wise old owl lived in an oak, The more he saw, the less he spoke, The less he spoke, the more he heard, Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?” If we allow God’s Spirit to work in us, we can learn to listen more than we speak, to pause before responding, and to let wisdom guide our words. That’s the smart way. That’s God’s way. Open Bible – https://bit.ly/Pro19v11
