Today's Daily Bread
What We Talk About
Our Daily Bread
Perhaps you are familiar with the saying, “Great minds discuss
ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
Admittedly, there are ways to speak of people that can honor them. But
this saying highlights our darker experiences. In a world of
ever-present media—social and professional—we are continually confronted
with people’s lives at a level of intimacy that can be inappropriate.
Worse, this tidal wave of personal information about others could
become grist for our conversational mills to the point that gossip
becomes the norm—and not just about the rich and famous. People in our
workplaces, churches, neighborhoods, and families can also be targets of
sharp tongues and feel the pain of discussions that never should have
happened.
How can we escape our inclination to use words to hurt others? By
recognizing that the ultimate Hearer of our words is God, who longs for
us to be better than that. With the psalmist, we can pray, “Let the
words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your
sight, O Lord” (Ps. 19:14). When we seek to
please God with our conversations about others, we honor Him. With His
help, we can glorify Him through what we talk about.
Forgive me, Father, for the times my speech
crosses the line of that which is appropriate.
Help me to understand the power of words,
and give me the wisdom to use them well.
crosses the line of that which is appropriate.
Help me to understand the power of words,
and give me the wisdom to use them well.
It is better to bite your tongue than to make a biting remark.
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