To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!
Most if not all of us begin to be taught from our earliest days the importance of showing respect for others. The larger part of showing respect is the way in which we speak to one another. Our parents likely taught us the correct way of speaking, whether to adults or to our peers, with an emphasis on politeness and kindness. Many of us grew up in a church setting where we even learned poems and songs that helped remind us of our responsibility to be kind and respectful. “Be careful little mouth what you say, oh be careful little mouth what you say . . .” It is ingrained in us to watch our words as much as we watch our actions. Solomon expresses above the great value there is in well-chosen and wellplaced words. When the right thing is said in the right situation, it is a very good thing. All of us surely have experience with the opposite situation (the wrong thing said, and at the wrong time), and have thus been party to hurt feelings or worse. Yet we can be people who are a source of encouragement and help for others by the way in which we speak. It takes no time at all to offer a kind word to someone. It takes only the decision to act. A word in season is indeed a very good thing. Enjoy the fellowship and celebration today. God has been very good to us, and he alone deserves our worship and praise.
–Ricky