Proverbs 29:12 If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.
It is always fascinating to read the stories of people in great power, such as kings, presidents, princes, and so on. It is sometimes amazing to people who haven’t done much of that to realize how much power is in the hands of people you don’t even know. Bureaucrats, advisors, and other people like that may not have their name on the documents, but probably have their fingerprints all over the documents. They have levels of power by having influence on the rulers. Proverbs 29:12 says, “If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.” If a leader listens to lies, he is going to cultivate many corrupt people that are advising him. That is because you will cultivate the people to whom you listen.
The Bible says in verse 11, “A fool uttereth all his mind.” It is important that we watch what we say, but it is also important to whom we listen and how we listen. We should not listen to lies. We often think, “Well, a wise man is shown by how he listens, not by how he talks.” While that is true, it is also true that just because I listen it does not mean I am wise. I need to listen to the right things. It is not just what I utter, it is what I accept.
I don’t have to be a president to see this in my life; the principle of cultivating is what I accept. For instance, if I am always receiving flattery from other people, could it be that I am vain, looking for flattery? If I am always getting deceived by other people, could it be that I am gullible and accepting that? If I am always in the middle of a conversation that involves gossip, I am going to cultivate tale bearers and people that are always bringing me stories to listen to. It might be good for me to think what kind of people are speaking into my life. If it is a lot of the wrong thing or the same thing, is that accidental or is it because I am accepting something in my ears and life that I ought not?
So, it is important what I say, but it is also very important the kind of speech that I accept. The kind of speech to which I give credence is important because a ruler who listens to lies is going to have people surrounding him who do just that. You will cultivate the people to whom you listen.