There’s a lot of chatter in our culture now about many things. From the pandemic to the handling of the pandemic, from which worship songs churches should sing to whether Simone Biles was courageous or cowardly by dropping out of her scheduled Olympic events. The point is that everyone feels the need to weigh in on everything, and sometimes that’s the greater problem.

Should we speak or should we stay silent? I think the first 3 verses of Proverbs 16 can shed some light on the struggle.

To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:1-3‬ ‭NIV, emphasis mine

[Tweet “Let God weigh your heart before you weigh in on something with your words.”]

The writer was right in his observation that we all feel like we have something to say, and yet the only source of the best thing to say — “the proper answer” — is the Lord. We want to weigh in with our words, but He is weighing the motives behind the words. That truth alone should cause us to pause before saying anything, but it shouldn’t cause us to stop speaking. It should cause us to commit our opinions, our words, our posts, and our pride to the Lord so that He can establish the plan for how to address things.

[Tweet “We don’t need to be afraid of our motives; we need to be aware of them.”]

We don’t need to be afraid of our motives, but we do need to be aware of them because until we are, we’re being led by them and not by the Father. Today, let Him weigh your heart before you weigh in on something with your words.