Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, but a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom. ~Proverbs 10:6,11,13-14,19,21
Many verses in Proverbs speak of the tongue and how to use it as a positive influence. Leaders who use words skillfully increase their influence. Leaders who understand the power of their words accomplish the following:
They proclaim justice and are blessed (v.6).
They speak hope for the future, becoming a fountain of life to others (v. 11).
They speak forth wisdom and save others from ruin (vv. 13-14).
They know when silence is more powerful than words (v. 19).
Their words feed and nourish many others (v. 21).
What’s the Score?
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ~1 Corinthians 3:6-7
Every endeavor or “game” in life has its own rules and its own definition of what it means to win. Some teams measure their success in points scored, others in profits. Still others may look at the number of people they serve. But no matter what the game is, there is always a scoreboard. And if a team is to accomplish its goals, it has to know the score.
Why is the score so important? Because teams that succeed make adjustments to continually improve themselves and their situations. In preparation, teams come up with a detailed game plan. But as the game goes on, the game plan means less and less, while the scoreboard becomes more and more important. Why? Because the game is constantly changing. You see, the game plan tells you what you want to happen. But the scoreboard tells what is happening.
[tags]Leadership, John Maxwell, Wise Words from a Leader, Leading People, Leader, People Management, Personal Development, God Love, Bible, Score, Wisdom, Foolish, John C Maxwell[/tags]