Subscription Lists

No man living has an absolutely empty head! In spite of this fact, many of us act as though we wish to dispute this reality. Our speech sometimes argues mightily against it! The Proverbs writer stated the obvious when he wrote, “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” (Proverbs 17.28).

Why is it that there are times when we feel we just have to say something? You know those times; you have experienced them! At a moment when silence would have been golden, we insist on filling the void with fool's gold! I remember the specialty class I had taken in an aerospace related field, a course which dealt with what is called high-reliability soldering. The ink was hardly dry on my certificate when I was called upon to help review the system of a would-be electronics supplier. During the course of the review, a group of us who had the power to approve or disapprove the supplier's work was making its way through their facility. As we walked and observed the processes, the people, and the items with which they worked, I touched a shiny roll of what I thought was solder and said knowingly, “So this is your approved solder, right?” I still remember how small I felt when the contractor's representative said, “That's not solder; thats hook-up wire!” As Solomon observed, “The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up.” (Ecclesiastes 10.12).

A dear departed friend of mine related a similar event in which he had been involved as he was completing a class in personal evangelism. This class involved techniques intended to make his efforts more effective as he went about the work of teaching others. As one of the training exercises, each student was required to go out with a mentor and put to practice one of the skills he had learned. One technique called for the student to give the person whom he hoped to teach a sincere compliment to open the doors of communication. Without arguing the validity or advisability of this technique, Bennie told me its result. He greeted the farmer with whom he hoped to establish a good rapport. The three men (Bennie, the mentor, and the man to be taught) walked about the man's farm making small talk. As they came to one of the stalls in the barn, Bennie smiled and said, “That sure is a mighty good looking calf you got there!” Bennie said he noticed how the man's demeanor changed and the conversation seemed to lag. Later Bennie learned the probable reason. His mentor told him that the calf which he had been so careful to profusely compliment was deformed at birth and was in the farmer's meager intensive care unit for troubled calves! What Bennie meant as a complement was seen as a sarcastic and hurtful remark. Once again silence would have been golden, but ill-advised words proved otherwise.

Lincoln is credited with saying, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak out and remove all doubt.” Whether he said this or not is open to debate in as much as it has also been attributed to Albert Einstein, Groucho Marx, and Mark Twain. However, regardless of its origin, we all must admit its truthfulness.

There are many ways to say it, but a most memorable one was stated by one of Job's dubious friends; Zophar said, “For an empty-headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.” (Job 11.12). Paul stated the converse of this principle when he wrote, “ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4.6). Speech is a privilege that is seldom earned and far, far too often abused.

Questions:

1. Why ought we to speak sound words? Is this more important at some times than at others?

2. What part will our speech have in our judgment (see Matthew 12.37)?

3. What did Jesus say about speaking wisely and honestly (see Matthew 5.37)?

4. What is meant by the saying to “Taste the words in your mouth before you speak them out”?

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

The Importance of Prayer