Airheads beware!
Have you ever had those little candies called "Slammin' Sour Airheads"? They are little strips of candy, but they pack a huge punch! The "sourness" of the candy is enough to set everyone of your taste buds into full alert! I think this might be what Solomon had in mind when he penned these words:
A person who talks sense is honored; airheads are held in contempt. (Proverbs 12:8 The Message)
Airheads often speak without thinking - just blurting out whatever will "stimulate" the senses of the ones in hearing distance. They don't care about the "shock-factor" of their words - indeed, they probably strive for it! In the good old days, the term "airhead" used to refer to the "airspace" the enemy occupied in order to do air drops of more troops or supplies into the midst of the fight. Hmmm...now doesn't this give us an interesting perspective on our "airhead" in the passage? They are actually putting more "resource" into the fight!
Don't get me wrong, sometimes we need to hear something which will stir us up from our place of slumber. Airheads may begin this process, but if all we listen to is their rantings, we will soon be drifting into the negativity of the masses. Look at what Solomon describes as their fate - they are held in contempt. In other words, there words soon come to be worthless. They speak, but nobody really pays them any mind. The sad part of this is we don't realize the "airspace" they are given in the first place is what opens the doors for them to gain a stronghold!
On the other hand, we are reminded about the person who "talks sense". There is something about trying to talk to an "airhead" - someone who packs a huge punch, setting everyone on full alert - we must learn from this passage. First, we control their "airspace" - we don't give them an inch! If we control what we allow to be spoken in our "airspace", we control what can gain "influence" in our minds.
Second, we don't give credence to what is spoken - unless we check it out first! The words were spoken to make an "impact" - pure and simple. The "impact" may leave a crater the size of the Grand Canyon if we give too much credence!
Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. We often think cannot "counter" the words of the "airhead" with anything that will impact the situation. Their words just hang there like stale air. I have a can of this wonderful stuff called "Neutra Air" - a Lysol product which eliminates the "bad air". It doesn't just put out a pretty smell, it actually eliminates it! Sometimes what we need to do is "eliminate" the "bad air" with some "good air" of our own!
The best defense is a good offense - the best offense is the Word of God. Nothing shuts down the "sourness" of the airhead any quicker than the gentle reply of one "tempered" by the Word of God. I am not saying you quote a scripture, but you let the scripture "temper" your response - so it is in gentleness, love, kindness, and with boldness. In turn, you almost "close off" the airhead's "airspace".
Just some thoughts on dealing with an airhead!
A person who talks sense is honored; airheads are held in contempt. (Proverbs 12:8 The Message)
Airheads often speak without thinking - just blurting out whatever will "stimulate" the senses of the ones in hearing distance. They don't care about the "shock-factor" of their words - indeed, they probably strive for it! In the good old days, the term "airhead" used to refer to the "airspace" the enemy occupied in order to do air drops of more troops or supplies into the midst of the fight. Hmmm...now doesn't this give us an interesting perspective on our "airhead" in the passage? They are actually putting more "resource" into the fight!
Don't get me wrong, sometimes we need to hear something which will stir us up from our place of slumber. Airheads may begin this process, but if all we listen to is their rantings, we will soon be drifting into the negativity of the masses. Look at what Solomon describes as their fate - they are held in contempt. In other words, there words soon come to be worthless. They speak, but nobody really pays them any mind. The sad part of this is we don't realize the "airspace" they are given in the first place is what opens the doors for them to gain a stronghold!
On the other hand, we are reminded about the person who "talks sense". There is something about trying to talk to an "airhead" - someone who packs a huge punch, setting everyone on full alert - we must learn from this passage. First, we control their "airspace" - we don't give them an inch! If we control what we allow to be spoken in our "airspace", we control what can gain "influence" in our minds.
Second, we don't give credence to what is spoken - unless we check it out first! The words were spoken to make an "impact" - pure and simple. The "impact" may leave a crater the size of the Grand Canyon if we give too much credence!
Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. We often think cannot "counter" the words of the "airhead" with anything that will impact the situation. Their words just hang there like stale air. I have a can of this wonderful stuff called "Neutra Air" - a Lysol product which eliminates the "bad air". It doesn't just put out a pretty smell, it actually eliminates it! Sometimes what we need to do is "eliminate" the "bad air" with some "good air" of our own!
The best defense is a good offense - the best offense is the Word of God. Nothing shuts down the "sourness" of the airhead any quicker than the gentle reply of one "tempered" by the Word of God. I am not saying you quote a scripture, but you let the scripture "temper" your response - so it is in gentleness, love, kindness, and with boldness. In turn, you almost "close off" the airhead's "airspace".
Just some thoughts on dealing with an airhead!
That is an excellent and amusing analogy, Lauretta! Love it!
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