Words are classifiers! Words classify people into wise or foolish groups. How can you tell if someone is wise or foolish? Listen to what they say. When Job was going through trials, his wife felt he had had enough. She advised him to curse God and die. She could not figure any good coming out of Job’s miserable existence. With keener insight and reliance on God’s sovereignty, Job replied her: “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:10 NKJV). Take note how the Bible stated that “Job did not sin with his lips”. In other words, Job simply kept quiet. More often than not, silence is a manifestation of wisdom. The flight attendant discussed yesterday did not know when to stop talking. Had he stopped at saying that delay was due fuel crisis, nobody would have asked for his head. He frayed not a few nerves when he said the delay was “due fuel crisis in your country” and this earned him instant condemnation.
Words are classifiers in some other ways. It is also how you separate those who have faith and the ones operating in doubt and unbelief. In Mark 7, we have the story of a gentile woman who brought her daughter to Jesus for healing. After some moment of silence, Jesus told her that the children needed to be attended to as a matter of priority. He added that it was not good to give the children’s bread to dogs. The woman’s response was that the dogs do make do with the crumbs that fall from the table. Jesus reckoned what she said as a proof of faith. The words of faith from your mouth will justify and deliver your expectation to you.