Careless talk?

Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. (Plutarch)

You might think you are a very religious person. But if your tongue is out of control, you are fooling yourself. Your careless talk makes your offerings to God worthless. (James 1:26)

I cannot help but think of the times I have droned on and on with someone about a topic I have such interest in, only to realize they have not been listening because I am the only one interested in the topic! I have had to learn to 'read the crowd', so to speak, and listen more than I speak. It was not an easy lesson to learn, but a necessary one, especially as it pertains to sharing the truth of the gospel message. I used to think I needed to preach a sermon, but then realized my life was speaking louder than my words.

Know how to listen - this is our instruction today. The tongue can wag on and on, making it hard to really 'hear' what is being said. The more 'words' we use, the more we think others will get the point. The truth is that we don't need 'big words' as much as we need heartfelt words that encourage trust. An out-of-control tongue can do much damage, turning the 'hearers' into walled off 'listeners'. As Jesus commissioned his disciples to go out two-by-two, spreading the good news about him and the freedom he brought to them, they ask what they should say. Why? They were not 'learned teachers of the Law of Moses', so they didn't think they 'knew' what to say.

Jesus' response to them? Don't worry about what to say but trust the Spirit of God to give you the right words, in the right time, delivered to the right audience. We can glean from this that if we want others to listen, speak what the Spirit gives us in that moment. How do we come to the place of knowing what to speak and when to speak it forth? We learn to listen to Jesus. At first, the disciples actually spent more time listening to Jesus than they did speaking of him. They learned by listening - taking in the teachings and then allowing them to 'ruminate' within. Learn to listen - then you will know when and what to speak!

The more 'learned' one has become is not important - books don't bring us life. The best 'learning' comes sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening intently. It is in listening that we learn to control our words. Just sayin!

Be silent or speak up?

Ten people who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.

(Napoleon Bonaparte)

I must ask the question - just how much do you speak? How many times do you find it more important to get your 'two cents' in when others are raising a subject you might just know a little bit about? When you think you know more than they do, is that the time you interject your thoughts? When you believe you can add valuable information, do you find the urge to speak up? We have a whole lot of people offering opinions these days, but I reckon the silence of the wise may just confound those who are offering such opinions!

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

The wise measure their words. What exactly does that mean to you? To me, 'measuring one's words' is kind of like putting a muffler on your mouth. You 'suppress' some of the things you might like to say. It is also a little bit like using that tiny tube on the spray can of lubricant - it is aimed at exactly what (or who) needs to receive it and nothing else. 

We can be 'over-speakers' or even 'under-speakers'. Offer way too much, in situations where we don't really need to be contributors and we are likely to be viewed as 'butting in' or 'getting into someone's business'. Offer what some may consider as way too little and some may think you are ignorant, don't care, or are in total agreement with what they are saying. The problem with 'speaking' is that our words can get all messed up - we say the wrong stuff, at the wrong time, with the wrong intonation - muddying the waters in relationship way too often.

The wise measure their words because they have learned there is an 'art' to speaking the right words at the right time in a manner that will build up, give direction, or lend to the solution. How did they learn that? If we are perfectly honest here, it is likely through speaking too much at times, not enough at others, and words best left unspoken on occasion. The thing that sets the 'wise' apart is that they have learned from their 'words'. 

Bonaparte brings up an interesting point for us to consider - are words always the strongest way to 'speak'? I would have to say there are times when silence speaks way louder than any words I could speak. It conveys my disappointment on occasion, while it conveys my disinterest at others. It may be as important for us to learn to use silence as wisely as we have learned to use our words wisely. Sometimes what isn't spoken is the most important 'message' we need to be attentive toward. 

I think of a large group of peers gathered together to brainstorm the solution to a big problem. Many of the 'stronger' communicators in the group will speak up, write their solutions on the board, and even 'feed off each other's comments'. Then you will observe a few in every group who don't say much, if anything. Do they not have anything to add? They have ideas, see things in a different way than the 'louder crowd' may see them, but they are 'silent'. Why?

Maybe it is because they have learned it is wiser to let the 'louder' voices get their ideas all out there and then they speak up with the simplest of explanations or solutions to the problem. The quiet voice of reason heard from the back of the room - having thought it through, given it a chance to come together, then they speak up. Silence doesn't bespeak a lack of answers - it could just be the 'silent' are forming their thought into the most perfect of answers to the problem at hand! Just sayin!

A picture is worth a thousand words

I'll throw out the old plan I set up with their ancestors when I led them by the hand out of Egypt. They didn't keep their part of the bargain, so I looked away and let it go. This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; this time I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts. I'll be their God, they'll be my people. They won't go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons. They'll all get to know me firsthand, the little and the big, the small and the great. They'll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean. (Hebrews 8:7-12)

The old saying "Don't throw out the baby with the bath water" always made we wonder. Just how many parents and nannies of those tiny children actually made them disappear with the bath water? Silly as it seems to consider that one, these little sayings can present a reflection of something which is not reality, at least we hope it isn't! Whenever mom prepared "hot dogs" for supper, did you ever look for the dog? I did because I remember my dad quipping that hot dogs were made from ground up puppy dogs, and me wanting to hide my little Manchester Terrier in fear she'd become dinner! When someone told you they got "creamed" in their baseball game that day, did you wonder if it was by whipped cream, shaving cream, or cream cheese? Not likely. We use words to express meaning oftentimes different from the primary meaning of the words. When God tells us he threw out the old plan and set up a new one - there is no mistaking what he means here - it is more than just a 'word picture' that depicts something else entirely. There are some "word pictures" God does use to describe how this new plan was to function in our lives.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (I John 4:18)

Word pictures are something which convey meaning. When a word picture is used, it lends a "graphic" impression to the thought being expressed. Going back to my first word picture presented about the baby and the bath water, the thought is for us not to consider every failure as having nothing worthwhile in it. Even a failure has some redeeming feature - some lesson we can take away at the end. What the word picture reveals is that in trying to rid ourselves of the worthless stuff, we can inadvertently get rid of some of the good stuff if we aren't paying attention. Researchers have proven that word pictures actually help our brain to work faster - processing the idea a little quicker. It drives us to look for the meaning behind something. I think this is the main reason God uses so many word pictures in scripture - to help us get the point quicker, without having to expend a whole lot of energy just listening to words. The picture actually portrays the thought in a way which engages our emotions and the emotions help to "lock" the idea in our minds.

This new plan God speaks about isn't written on paper, nor chiseled in stone, but carved into the lining of the heart - evidently the place he 'takes up residence' in. We all grasp the idea of a pen scrawling on paper, producing some semblance of a story as the writing forms. We also get the idea of a hard object like stone being unaffected by the pen - a chisel is actually needed. What is behind every chisel - a hammer. Why does the stone need a hammer and chisel - it is hard. Now, take this word picture and allow it to expand your imagination. The paper we carry around with us is affected by time, is it not? I possess a couple "first edition" Sugar Creek Gang books. They are tattered by time and the pages are brittle with age. As they have yellowed, they are harder to read, fragile, and fading ink makes it difficult to see the original form of the image on the cover. 

Thinking of the stone being chiseled, I turn to the idea of a pretty big bolder which does not lend itself well to being "portable". In fact, it is pretty cold, impersonal, and just downright rigid. God's old plan - the Law - was chiseled in stone. I wonder if this was a "sign" of what God already knows about all of us - starting out well, dedicated to his service, but in time drifting into service which reveals nothing more than hardened hearts (much like stone)? We might be "rigid" in our practice of religion - keeping rules / regulations - but without any personal attachment to our God. Paper and stone does very little to ensure people obey what was written, does it? God needed a more "reliable" means of establishing his new plan - the human heart - the place of his residence. In affecting the heart, he assures allegiance. What better way to convey meaning than to paint the word picture of our "heart" being the place he writes his promises and his assurances of grace?

The idea of learning about God at a special school, or by buying a book outlining the easy steps to follow seems a little silly, but it conveys big meaning. We have a tendency to want God in five easy steps, don't we? Let's get this "God thing" into a nice, easily understood, pretty package and tie a bow on it to boot. We want the "steps" to follow because we don't want to deal with uncertainty. God is quite the opposite - becoming all things for all men where 'love has the run of the house'. He is experienced by any who seek - in the way we each need to experience him. No two creatures experience him the same - yet he is the same God. We cannot find a formula which defines how we grow close to God - it happens in the discovery of him in our very own personal way.

The concept of a slate being wiped clean is presented as a word picture of forgiveness. Grace is the "eraser" God holds in his hand - as grace passes over the slate where all our sins are recorded - it is wiped clean because love has the run of the house. Not even a tell-tale outline of the sin remains - there is no fear of the judgment, nor of being 'too far gone' for God to reach us. We "get" this one because we all have seen the ability of the eraser to eliminate the "former image" of what was once on the slate. God's grace and his intense love "erase" the "former image" we each possessed - that of a sinner, condemned and unclean. In the passing of grace over our hearts time and time again, we move from being "written upon by sin" to being open to be written upon by grace and inhabited fully by love! Don't pass by these word pictures, but allow them to begin to engage your emotions. In the engaging of your emotions, God will use those emotions to ignite the reality of his word within your heart. Just sayin!

You said what?

Am I the only one who has those awkward silent moments when you just stunned somebody with what you just said, then you have this shuddering feeling sweep over you that says, "I am going to regret having said that"? If you have ever found yourself thinking, "I wish I hadn't said that", you are probably in good company - you are right there with me. Most of us have experienced some moment of remorse over poorly chosen words. We just had no idea of the impact they'd make when they were actually spoken, because we didn't consider them well, nor did we consider the audience who would take those words in and sometimes even take them to heart.

Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things, but a reliable reporter is a healing presence. (Proverbs 13:17 MSG)

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8 KJV)

My son asked me the other day what an 'exhaustive concordance of the Bible' was and I was delighted to tell him it was a way to look up all the passages about a certain topic based upon key words. I discovered this topic of our 'words' has some of the most content in looking up "words", "speech", and "communication" in the scripture. Since we all probably find ourselves in the category of "irresponsibly speaking" on occasion, I'd like to share some principles I have found in the scriptures related to our words. Carefully chosen words lead to a carefully "walked" life. (Proverbs 13:3) The words we choose to speak have a life-altering ability. Not only do they alter our lives, but those who hear them. 

Our words should be true. If you have ever spoken words that really do not conform well to the facts, you probably have either personally interpreted the facts through your own "skewed" perspective, or your intention was to mislead another by the words you spoke. Either way, the words have an ability to mislead. God's first reminder to us - be truthful. Our words should be honest. You might think this is the same as being truthful, but it carries a different type of meaning. In being honest, we are to be upright and fair. In other words, we speak in such a manner so as to be fair (consistent, even, and without bias) in what is said. 

Perspective goes a long way in determining our perception of a situation. If we determine we want a perspective which causes us to see things in a truthful manner, then the words we speak sometimes are "tempered" by this "fairness" principle - they are without bias, not misleading, and proper. When we go to a counselor about our problems, what is the counselor doing while we sit there in their office? They are listening to both sides of the story! From a neutral perspective they help us "re-frame" our personal perspective to see things from another's viewpoint. Before long, if done well, we begin to see the other person and situation a little differently.

Our words should be just. Think of this as words which actually are proper to be spoken at the time. They are given or awarded rightly. If we use words like "always", "never", or "without fail" in describing another's actions, are these words accurately reflective of the other's actions? Not usually - - try as we might, we cannot "accurately" label someone's actions as consistently, without fail, or as always being a certain way. So, we need to learn to bring "reason" into the picture. Our words should be pure. When something is considered "impure", it is usually because it has had something "added" to the mixture. Pure words don't carry a lot of contaminating "add-mixture" stuff. We don't embellish. We don't need a whole lot of examples to build our case. We need to keep our words as free from inappropriate elements as possible - perhaps this would help us not get us down so many rabbit holes in relationships.

Our words should be lovely. They should possess a beauty to them that is sincere and appeals both to the heart and the mind. Words which are insincere have a "masked" meaning. They may appeal to the mind for a while, but when they hit the heart, their true meaning becomes apparent. Our words should bring a good report. Mom always taught, "If you cannot say something nice, don't say anything at all." Our guiding principle with this concept is to allow our words to be morally excellent. If they don't reflect good morals on our part - don't speak them. If they destroy the good morals of another - don't speak them. If they would be best left unspoken - don't speak them. The questions to ask ourselves: Are they right? Are they fitting? Are they proper? If not, don't speak them.

Our words should bespeak virtue and praise. Words should lend something to the integrity of the relationship. If they don't, they tend to tear down rather than knit together. If this seems like a rather long list, it is. God gives it to us in bite-sized chunks so we have an ability to allow him to impact our words in measurable ways. If we begin at the top, working with God each step of the way, he can impact our choice of words. It may not come instantly, but as we commit to the principles taught, we become much wiser with the use of our words. We don't need to manipulate to get our message across - - it comes across in a powerful and altering way because it is tempered with the grace of God! As a closing thought, take a lesson from one who has learned, "All words need to be thought, but not all thoughts need to make it into words!" Just sayin!

What's posted at that intersection?

Intersections - what is their purpose? Isn't it a place where we make a choice? We can continue to go in the direction we are going, or choose a different one, right? At an intersection, we have the opportunity for course adjustment. How many times do we come upon an intersection, oblivious to the markings there, just so focused on something else, totally missing something posted like "No turn on Red" or perhaps "One Way"? I have gone the wrong way down a one way street because I was more focused on finding the business I was looking for rather than looking at the markings of the intersections! If intersections are places where we make choices, I wonder if this is why God asks us to post his Word at the intersections of our lives?

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. (James 1:19)

Some pretty 'beefy' stuff in this passage today! Maybe it would behoove us to do more than take a cursory glance at the words and really focus with some intent on what God is saying here. Lead with your ears - follow with your tongue. How many of you get this the other way around? I speak first and listen last a whole lot sometimes! Instead, God wants me to remember to listen first - pay attention, get the meaning of what is happening, and then answer. When I lead with my mouth, anger isn't far behind! When I listen first, anger has a harder time getting a foothold because I am able to discern a little better what is 'behind' what is being said, done, or even thought. Yes, I can 'listen' to another's thoughts! You can, as well! It isn't a supernatural power - it is paying attention to their expressions, breathing, eyes, and even their posture. I am listening with my eyes and ears!

How does a garden grow? Isn't it because it is tended regularly? I have some garden areas that show the signs of a lack of tending. The soil isn't very pliable and the things growing there are a little less than 'beautiful' - all because the garden hasn't been 'tended' in a while. My heart can get a little bit 'untended' at times, too. It is as though it become a little less pliable and things that emerge from it when this happens are a little less than 'beautiful'! Listen to your heart - not with a stethoscope, but with specific attention paid to what it is you are thinking, feeling, and doing. What are your responses to the things around you? Your heart plays a great deal of importance in how you respond to those things. Learning to listen to your heart, paying close attention to how you are responding, is the first step toward learning to pay attention to the intersections in your life!

God's righteousness doesn't grow in garbage. It grows in fertile and prepared soil. A garden doesn't just contain one thing - it contains many things that lead to it being fruitful and prosperous in growth. Our hearts must be tended - they must respond to what is being said and done in our lives - the Spirit of God tending us with such care. Pay attention to the intersections you approach today - especially in relationships, responsibilities, and resources. What will you do at that intersection in your relationship? What will you choose to do with your responsibilities? What will you find when you explore your resources? You may be surprised to see what has been "posted" in your life today. Maybe it is time you and I both start listening more, talking less, and leaving no room for wrong responses in our lives. Just sayin!

Shhh....do you hear that?

I have seen some majestic waterfalls, but I know there are even more out there to be discovered. One thing that really catches my attention with these huge cascades of water is their intense sound. The thundering of the water as it cascades, falling upon rocks below, echoing throughout the canyons in which they dwell - it just roars and almost deafens one who gets too close. Have you heard the term, "Talk is cheap"? It means it is easier to talk ABOUT something than to do it! Another meaning would be it is easier to talk ABOUT someone than to do something for them. We could say talk is "cheap" in many respects - if our words aren't a sincere revelation of our motives (inner heart), they are simply have no real "force" behind them. They may 'thunder and roll', but do they carry any really power behind them? The words that 'cascade' from our lips should be to build up - not tear down. They should be to lift exalted praise to the one who has all the power to uphold us!

Let praise cascade off my lips; after all, you've taught me the truth about life! And let your promises ring from my tongue; every order you've given is right. Put your hand out and steady me since I've chosen to live by your counsel. (Psalm 119:171-173)

I have friends who speak continuously when we are together. Other simply are happy to sit and enjoy times of quiet with me, occasionally bringing some discussion into the quiet, but it is not the main "theme" of our time together. I was once told we could "gauge" the comfort of an individual in a relationship by their need to continually make "small talk" in our time together. As my relationships have matured, the need to always be engaged in conversation has decreased. So, I think this observation may actually be true. You know what? My comfort with God has grown deeper over the years, allowing me to be quite comfortable just sitting in his presence, taking in his grace, and just not needing to say a thing. Yet, there are times when my lips must exalt him and my heart cry out. Both are perfectly right - both are perfectly natural! How do you find your time with the Lord? Is it a continual conversation, barely pausing for a breath? Is there a sense of "filling" space with conversation? If so, you might find you are a little concerned about the "silence"! Why? It may be the silence frightens you because you have never learned the value of just spending "time" with each other. Whenever I have paused my talking TO God long enough, I begin to "take in" things around me purposefully revealed by his hand.

On a recent fishing trip, I just sat and enjoyed the sounds, sights, and simple beauty around me. When I sat there a while, I began to look at the "floor" of the creek bed and forest just beyond it. The fallen branches created little havens for the creatures - I knew they were there even when I did not see them. Birds pecked underneath them, and if I had looked a little further, I bet I would have found that insects made a home there, too. In short order, God began to show me the purpose God has for the "broken". The trees were filled with leaves, gently whispering the ebbs and flow of the breezes. The floor of the forest was lined with fallen leaves, broken branches, and fallen seed pods. In terms of looking at the trees or the forest floor, one might quickly say the trees still served a purpose - they were full of the evidence of life! Yet, when we really consider the floor, guess what we see? You got it! Life! Even in what appeared to have been 'discarded' by the trees (those fallen leaves, the broken branches, and the drying seed pods), there was an immense purpose! The leaves provided protection to the roots during the heat of summer. The fallen branches acted as resting spots for the creatures scurrying about. The drying pods would be laid up for the leaner times by little forest critters. Each held a purpose far greater than evident by just a cursory glance.

The same is true of each of us - we serve a purpose not always evident on the surface. In the quiet of discovery, our purpose becomes apparent. What impressed me most in my time of listening to God, being open to his teaching, was the truth that in death God produces the basis for life! It was in death his Son provided the basis for eternal life with God. It is in death our hope begins! Praise cascades from the lips of one who realizes this truth to be true in their lives! In the quietness of praise, the truths of God become true in our lives. Did you ever think there was a purpose in "quiet" praise? Yep! Not every moment with God needs to be filled with words! Sometimes the greatest message is in the quiet we enjoy together! So, speak on God! We are quiet now. Just being quiet!

Did I say that?

I know I am not the only one who has ever said something long before they ever thought about the impact of those words or the tone of voice used in speaking them forth. There is a whole lot to be said about our words, but I don't need to say a lot to tell you these words of us are like a loaded weapon at times! Words matter - what we think should not always be spoken! There is no greater struggle than to learn to control one's speech. Words that are thoughtlessly spoken often require us to "mop up" the aftermath of those very words! Jesus focused on the fact that words "kill" - they have an absolute  destructiveness that rises to the level of committing murder! If he feels this strongly about our speech, isn't it worth evaluating our choice of words?

A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! (James 3:3-5)

The reality of how powerful our words are is likened to a tiny rudder on a ship. They have the power to direct the course of events. I have heard it said that words don't matter - actions do. I think in some cases, this is quite true - such as when I am evaluating if someone's commitment is genuine or that there has been a true life transformation. Actions often speak louder than words in these cases - the individual may still call themselves an alcoholic, but their commitment to stay away from alcohol for the past ten years speaks volumes about their recovery. There are some basic communication "tips" that we should heed if we want a strong community of relationships, though.

Don't be afraid to think before you speak! When we "run" our words through our mind first, we may not always speak everything we are thinking. Some people may see this as a weakness because you are not as quick to speak as others, but the words that come forth will often be more readily embraced because they have been "processed" before they are spoken. We are actually practicing the skill of "filtering" our words when we do this - allowing the Word of God we have tucked away to help us bring light to what needs to be said and to hold back on that which really is not necessary to speak at that moment. Learn to hear the "tone" of your words. There is often more "spoken" in the tone of our voice than in the actual words spoken. You might respond positive words, but your tone of voice lacks excitement and is actually conveying something entirely different. Words matter, but the tone conveys the heart. When we realize the tone of voice matters, we can deliver even the hardest message in a loving and compassionate manner - making the message just a little easier to be heard.

Words that are not solicited are meddlesome. We may think we have something "worth hearing" in the situation, but if the words of advice are not solicited, they are not going to be heard anyway! It is important to "weigh" the moment, consider the attitude of heart each person is conveying at that moment, and then choose our words according to the moment. That moment may not be the best - the attitude of heart of the hearer may not be open to receiving the message. The message is important - but the hearer's open mind and heart as equally as important. Not rocket science here - just practical advice on communication. Words do matter - they often control the outcome of community and relationship development more than we know. Our silence conveys meaning as much as our words! Our words, aptly spoken, direct the course of our lives and those we associate with! Just sayin!

Just sayin!

A fool engages in words that are both thoughtless (not a lot of thought taken before speaking them) and careless (headstrong and determined to make one's own point or get one's own way). Put them together and you have a recipe for many an unhappy relationship, family gathering, or workplace environment! The fool is often described as reckless, unthinking, indiscreet, lacking caution, etc. Not too flattering of a list of character traits, huh? The wise, on the other hand, are described as discreet, caring, respectful, concerned, etc. The difference isn't rocket science here - it is found in the ability to "govern" one's words.

Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly; the prudent quietly shrug off insults. Truthful witness by a good person clears the air, but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit. Rash language cuts and maims, but there is healing in the words of the wise. (Proverbs 12:16-18)

Ever know someone who has a "short fuse" - reacting at the drop of a pin and then leaving everyone in their path standing there in the wake of their outburst without even noticing how much damage or confusion their words have caused. The simple truth is that they are "fools" - lacking judgment and wisdom that would keep them from damaging both themselves and those in their path. Yep, they are quite "enthusiastic", but they lack the sense to know when they should indulge in a certain behavior or withhold themselves. They are characterized by "speaking before thinking" - a sure sign to those of us who have had more than one occasion where we have put our foot in our mouth!

The prudent, on the other hand, may "reserve" what they think for a later time, or never speak what they think at all (novel concept). It is not because they don't believe their thoughts are valuable enough to put into words - they have just learned that all that they think at the moment may not lend to the good of the situation, so they remain silent. A prudent person is both wise in the present moment and forward-looking in their planning - even when it comes to their words. There is a bigger picture in mind. The fool reacts to the moment - the prudent plans for the future. We often refer to this prudent one as discreet or controlled in their response. Trust me - discretion and control are both learned traits!

There are moments when the truth will be the best path to explore - allowing the air to be cleared between individuals and circumstances to be set into play that will 'mend' breaks in relationships. At other times, truth may be known, but it may not be the moment to speak it - simply because it will inflame the fool in one or both of us, leading to more issues arising that will have to be dealt with at a later time. Knowing when to speak truth is wisdom. Rash language is simply anything spoken without taking the time to think it through. If there is one thing I have realized in my study of scripture, it is that if the same instruction, warning, or spiritual insight is taught more than once, God expects us to pay attention - we need to 'get' the topic into our hearts and minds so it affects our actions. This short passage speaks to us in about three different ways - all focusing on how and when we use our words! Therefore, we better sit up and take notice!

Rash words are those that are spoken without considering the consequences of those words. It is not just the words that are spoken, it is also the timing of the words, the ones that are hearing the words, and the framework in which our words are created. Yes, the words we speak matter, but we are not always cognizant of the audience hearing those words. We would do well to consider if the one hearing what we are saying is really the right audience for those words. We can "frame" any message (even a difficult one) in a way that can be both constructive and edifying. This entire chapter of Proverbs is chocked full of the differences between the fool and the wise. Many other passages speak to the importance of our words - the impact they have on others. We would do well to consider the impact OUR words have today - they are reflections of either our wisdom, or our fool-hearty ways! Just sayin!