THE LOOK

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

Proverbs 25:23     

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

There have been two primary opportunities for me to be a leader in my career, first as a parent who was blessed to raise two daughters to adulthood, and second through a long military career. In both, I had the chance to develop a lot of leadership abilities and methods. One that I always found effective in times of leading, both home and at work, was “the look.” Let me explain.

When my daughters were young and always getting into trouble it seems (like all kids do), I found that through persistent correction and discipline things got to where I could just look at my girls in a certain way and they would self correct the wrongs they were committing. “The look” sent a message without me having to say a word and the message was “cut it out or else.”  In other words, responding to “the look” was a chance to escape further correctional action.

In my time in the Navy, I found that “the look” worked at the adult level as well as it would send a message to my Sailors that I disapproved of certain behavior that was contrary to professionalism and good order and discipline. But I also found I could broaden the application of “the look,” using it in other situations to help achieve what I wanted to achieve.

For example, let’s say I was having a meeting and wanted to persuade someone to go with an idea. I found that in the midst of the discussion, “the look” could be used when the person I was talking to began to go down a road I didn’t favor, usually the road away from the one I wanted to travel, the road that was paved with my plan. And as I got very skilled at “the look,” I found that I could use it to be successful in almost every instance in getting my way on things.

In either instance, the point is simply this. We can say volumes by our body language without speaking a single word. It’s that powerful and we all experience it and use it, whether it’s by way of “the look” or other body expressions.

It’s this matter of body language and specifically, “the look,” that are at the heart of today’s proverb from King Solomon. Let’s take a look at verse 23 of Proverbs, Chapter 25:

Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look. (NIV)  

What makes this verse interesting is the difference in translation of what the north wind will do with the rain. In the New International Version (NIV), as well as the English Standard Version (ESV), New Living Translation (NLT), Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), and others, the north wind brings rain but in the King Kames Version (KJV), a translation widely used by so many Bible students, the translation has the north wind driving away the rain. Rather than debate which translation is right, perhaps we need to consider that the Lord is sending us guidance through both. Let me explain what I believe God is trying to convey to us in each with regard to “the look.” I’ll begin with the King James verse.

1. The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.   

In this translation, “the look” is used by a person who was bad-mouthed by another to send a message, a message of disapproval over what was said. The angry countenance or look communicates that what was said was unacceptable, unendurable, and unsupported. We have all been in this situation before, a situation where we had to flash “the look” of displeasure toward someone after they said something that we didn’t approve of. We do it to hopefully stop any further conversation of the same nature, to drive it away as the north wind drives away the rain.

2. Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

Whereas God’s word in the KJV speaks to “the look” being used as a means to communicate disapproval and drive away further inappropriate talk, the other versions use “the look” as a caution to the communicator. In other words, the object here for God is not the one who receives and responds to unsuitable words but rather the one who speaks them.

The production and conveyance of undesirable communication can come to a person as quickly as an unexpected rain is brought by a north wind. We all know how unpredictable weather can be and there have been some occasions, where the forecast just called for things to be cloudy with no rain but yet when I was in the middle of mowing the grass in my yard, unwelcome rain started to fall putting a damper on my plans. This can be compared to someone saying something completely improper out of the blue, something completely unexpected that only leaves the hearer horrified, an emotion given away by their look. “The look” in this case is simply a natural response to the indecency of what was said but nonetheless sends a message to the sender that there words were offense and objectionable.

The caution here from God is this:

Watch your mouth.

For if deplorable words are never spoken in the first place, there would be no need for “the look” and instead, we can use words when we speak with others that edify and inspire and encourage and instruct, words that the Lord desires us to use as he looks down upon us each and every day, watching our every action and hearing our every word.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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