Value Added

Wishing you all a very blessed weekend

Value Added

(Prov 10:20,21 TNIV) The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.

In these two verses Solomon contrasts the tongue of the righteous with the heart of the wicked. As I prayed over these verses I see two things:

1. The Righteous Add Value: The reference to silver is a reference to value. Solomon is saying that those of us who walk with God, who fill our hearts with good things, and who thereby speak words of life are valuable.

I have already explained the connection between your heart and your mouth. As a believer, since your heart should be full of the Word of God, your mouth should be full of words of life. You should be ever ready to speak words that enrich, edify, uplift and inspire. And we have already studied the importance of our words.

If you believe your words can make a difference (and they can), and you use your lips to build up all those around you, that makes you valuable to your organization. Not to mention the fact that the Lord can give you insight, revelation, wisdom, and understanding to be able to tackle the tough challenges you (or your organization) may be facing.

The Lord will give you the insight you need, because He wants you to make a difference where you have been planted. If He sends you into a dark place, He wants you to bring light. If He sends you into a place full of hatred, he wants you to bring love. If He sends you to an unproductive organization, He wants you to be used to turn it around. Bottom line: as believers, we should add value wherever the Lord sends us. Our words and our works should make a positive impact on a daily basis.

2. The Wicked are No Value Added: Just like the hearts of the righteous are filled with good things, the hearts of the wicked are filled with evil things. Therefore, out of the abundance of their heart their mouths speak and what comes out is “No value added.”

The lips of the wicked spread lies, they are quick to backbite, and they speak hateful and divisive words. These people tear down, not build up. They are conniving and their ways can spread like cancer through an organization; driving wedges between the members; causing division, discord and discontent. We are experiencing something like this at my company right now in our technical department and it is effecting our entire organization.

Solomon calls these people “fools.” I guess the saddest part is these people are too foolish to realize that they are really being a detriment to themselves. They will eventually reap what they are sowing. Solomon says that they will die for lack of sense. Their evil ways bring destruction.

So what does this mean? It means that you have a choice. Which person do you want to be: the person that adds value or the person that is no value added? If you walk with God, study His Word, learn His ways, apply His principles, walk in love, and speak words of life, you will invariably add value to every organization you are a part of.

People will seek you out, because you produce. At the end of the day, leaders of organizations are always looking for people that can produce positive results.

However, the wicked are not so. They quickly gain a reputation for being divisive, disruptive, and counterproductive. People like this are not sought after, but rather ostracized. Don’t allow this to be you. Walk with God and seek to make a difference everywhere you go!

Father, I declare, by faith, that I am VALUE ADDED everywhere I go. I fill my heart with Your truth and out of the abundance of my heart, my mouth speaks. I speak life and not death, blessing and not cursing, words that help and not words that hurt.

I uplift, edify, and inspire all those around me. And You Father, give me the insight, wisdom, revelation, and understanding I need to perform my duties in excellence. My relationship with You gives me an advantage over those that do not know You. As I apply Your wisdom to my life I am able to add value to every organization You bless me to be a part of! Use me today, Father, for Your glory! In Jesus’ name. Amen!