Day 120: Body language - Proverbs 6 vs 12 - 19

12-13 A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, 14 with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; 15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 6:12-19 English Standard Version

We’re all familiar with body language. Shoulder's can slump, feet tap irritably, or we stretch and yawn and look at our watch. All of that can show that someone is bored stiff. But vs 12-14 mention some body language that tells of something more sinister. Little nods and winks and 'secret' signals as a person works with an accomplice to try and deceive an unsuspecting victim. How does the writer of Proverbs describe such people at the very start of vs 12 and what does he say will be their inevitable end? (vs 15)

Worthless people might get away for some time with wicked schemes - but when justice does find them out it often comes suddenly and takes them completely by surprise. This leads the writer to describe some other ways people use the different parts of their body to harm others which God really despises. Look at vs 16-19 again.

Haughty eyes would be when people look down in arrogance on those they regard as targets for their schemes. That leads naturally to tongues that are quick to tell lies and deceive people. Worse still are hands that are used to commit violent crime. But it’s out of the heart that such evil intentions flow, and it is with the feet that worthless people hurry to carry out the deed.

But it's not only violent crime that God hates – the writer speaks also of someone who breathes out false testimony that causes discord among good people. In other words, they stir up trouble. Notice that the same word was used in vs 14. God hates those who cause divisions between friends. What would you say all this tells us about what a genuine faith in God should look like?

I'd suggest that it reminds us that genuine Christianity will be expressed in the way we use the different parts of our body. Listen to how Paul put it in Romans 6:12-13. He says: “Don't let sin control the way you live; don't give in to sinful desires. Don't let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin! Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.”

This doesn't only apply to bigger parts like our hands feet - or the things we look at with our eyes - it applies just as much to one of the smallest parts of our body, the tongue. James 3:5-6 says: “The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire! And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” The Devil must love to get Christians quarrelling!

So often it’s words that cause problems and divisions. Apart from blatant lies people may tell, there are also so words of spite, selfishness, unkindness, gossip and harshness. James went on to say: “People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (James 3:7-10)

May God help us to be aware of our body language as well as the words we speak - so that we won’t be people who cause discord among friends, family, or in the Church.