10 A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,
But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
11 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who pursues worthless things lacks [e]sense.
12 The wicked man desires the [f]booty of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13 [g]An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will escape from trouble.
14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his [h]words,
And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
16 A fool’s anger is known at once,
But a prudent man conceals dishonor.
17 He who [i]speaks truth tells what is right,
But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips will be established forever,
But a lying tongue is only for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
There are several themes that seem to surface in this passage, and they are all somewhat related. We see contentment in v. 11 (and discontent), we see the latter again in v. 12, and I think that comes a bit from patience. The end result we see in v. 20 is peace, and it doesn’t come from getting everything you want, it comes from being content with what God has given you.
In v. 14, we see more contentment, and in v. 16 impatience leads to anger. The prudent man, the one who is thinking long-term doesn’t flaunt victory over someone when they mess up, but conceals it to give them a second chance. Again, the wise man is content with what he has, and sees nothing to gain by denegrating someone who is already down on their luck. So instead, he shows patience with that person, giving them a chance to make things right.
In v. 18, the rash (and impatient) person’s words are like thrusts of a sword, doing damage at every turn. Yet the wise desires to see restoration and healing. When bad things happen to others, are your first thoughts, “how can I help?” If not, ask God to soften your heart, to show you His grace and love and patience. Let God’s peace reign over your heart, and share that with those who are struggling.
Don’t be impatient and expect them to get better right away though, the road to peace is not easy or quick. It takes time to heal, to let God change your heart, and to learn His ways. The temptation will be to gloat, or to say, “thank goodness I’m not like that!” But if you can focus on His way, find God’s peace and joy for your heart, you can be a healing salve to those in need. Be His hands and feet and bring healing instead of rash words.