When my wife and I were visiting a church for a special musical
program, we arrived early to get a good seat.
Before the program began,
we overheard two members seated behind us complaining about their
church. They criticized the pastoral staff, leadership, music, ministry
priorities, and several other things that made them unhappy.
They were
either unconcerned about or oblivious to the presence of two visitors in
their midst.
It occurred to me that their unfortunate conversation could have
pushed us away if we were there looking for a new church home. Worse,
what if we were seeking God and their disgruntled opinions had driven us
away? Their careless speech was not just a matter of the words they
used or attitudes they displayed, it also demonstrated their lack of
concern for the impact those words could have on others.
A better approach to the use of words is reflected in Proverbs 17:27,
where Solomon said, “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man
of understanding is of a calm spirit.” Most often, we would do better
not to say all we think or know (or think we know), but instead seek to use words that promote calm and peace. You never know who may be listening.
Lord, I need Your help that I might control
my thoughts and words today. I want to be a
blessing to others, to lift them up that they might
see Your goodness. Amen.
Discretion of speech is better than eloquence with words.
No comments:
Post a Comment