Just sayin!

Blessed is the man, who having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact. (George Eliot)

Have you ever been guilty of having 'too much to say' on a topic? It is like you cannot wait to get your turn to bring up a point. You are chatting at the bit to just get your opinion heard. Too many times we have much to say on a subject not worth saying that much about!

The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. (Proverbs 10:19)

This won't be a long lesson today, but rather a few points to ponder about the words we choose to speak. Words aren't always the problem - it is frequently the motivation or spirit behind the words that make the greatest impact. You can say one thing, but your attitude speaks something quite different.

Words have an impact - so we must choose them wisely. It isn't just the choice of words it is also the timing of those words. We can have all the right things to say - the point we are about to make is 'right on' and 'truth', but the timing is terrible. The words will have just the opposite impact because the timing was off.

Not everything we say needs to be said - there are just some moments when the things we are thinking are to be kept to ourselves. If we need to talk them over with anyone, it will likely be God, not the people within hearing distance at the moment. The more we lean upon the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, the more he will guide our words, as well.

Wisdom isn't always lengthy. Sometimes it is to the point, but always spoken in love. We may be a little 'timid' at times when sharing the wisdom God gives us, not so much because it is hard to share, but because we don't always believe we should. We tend to give a 'long lead in' when we are nervous about sharing truth. Truth doesn't require a 'lead in' - it requires obedience. Just sayin!

When silence answers it all

Although I don't know the author of this saying, it remains quite true: "Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Proverbs 29:11 reminds us, "A fool lets it all hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over." Proverbs 10:14 provides a little more thought on the matter: "The wise accumulate knowledge - a true treasure; know-it-alls talk too much - a sheer waste." Do we talk because we have something to say - or do we talk because we need to say something? It is a telling question, isn't it? Talk too much and you just fuel fires; speak wisdom in the midst of chaos and you can re-establish order and set the course once again in the right direction.

Proverbs 10:19 goes a little further by telling us, "The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words." How measured are you words? I have had to learn that lesson the hard way - by saying way too  much when I should have been more 'measured' in what it was I said. Ever joined me in that muddle? Too many words can actually fuel the fires of discontent, anger, discontent, and mistrust. I have had to ask God to put a 'muzzle' of sorts over my mouth at times - because what would have come out if I gave full rein to my thoughts via my words, the things said would only have inflamed the situation at hand. It was a hard thing to learn we may think things that should never find their way into words.

I learned what I may not have been able to speak out at that moment because wisdom dictated I remain silent on the matter didn't mean I didn't have a means to bring those thoughts to the surface. I still had the opportunity to talk about those things with God directly. I found times of quiet reflection with him, just speaking my heart in the truthful expression of what was capture in my thoughts. These times brought clarity and gave me peace in the matter. If you have ever refrained from speaking everything you thought when with another and then spoken to God about it a short time later, you know what I mean. It is like he shows you how good it was to resist the urge to 'spill it all' in that moment when you wanted to say it, but how healing it was to finally get it out with him and hear what he had to say about the matter.

Wisdom dictates silence sometimes. Learning when to respond and when silence is the best response is a difficult lesson indeed. Did you ever stop to consider that silence can be the most powerful response one can give at times? When my kids said something that was absolutely selfish or just outright mean, I sometimes just looked at them for a bit and didn't say anything. It wasn't because I was 'stunned' into silence - it was because God knew if I said what I thought at that moment, I would have brought more damage than health into the relationship. So, if you have learned the 'art' of listening to the still small voice warning you to just not say anything, maybe it is time to begin to listen a little closer. It could be the greatest thing you 'never said' that brings the greatest blessing into the moment. Just sayin!