Proverbs 29:20
There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
All you have to do is turn on the television to one of the news outlets and listen for a few minutes, and you will probably hear someone who speaks – or has spoken – without thinking. So we have dozens of “video clips” of people saying things they truly wish they hadn’t. “I didn’t know I would be running for office when I said that,” or “I didn’t know the microphone was on,” or “I was just a kid” are common excuses.
We all “open mouth, insert foot” on occasion. But some people seem to have made a career out of doing this. And I like the way Proverbs 29:20 analyzes this… “there is more hope for a fool” than people who speak without thinking.
Surely we don’t want others to think of us as foolish. I would hope that we want to be people of substance – people who are careful and thoughtful with our speech and consider what we are going to say before we say it! Ask God to guide your thoughts… which is the first step… and then the words that follow.
When we let our communication with God lapse and begin to try to “go it alone,” we get into trouble. We tend to say and do stupid things. It may seem like a farfetched correlation, but truly, staying close to God – through prayer, Bible study, and listening for His voice in every hour of your day – can directly affect what comes out of your mouth… and how seldom you speak without thinking!
Today, let’s ask God to guide our thoughts and our words. Let’s ask Him to keep us from “acting a fool,” and help us act and speak thoughtfully and in a way that honors our relationship with Him. Let’s do things God’s way instead of ours… and see what a difference He can make in the outcome!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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