“A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.” Proverbs 17:27 NLT
You have heard of those, and perhaps you even know someone, who talks a mile a minute, with gusts up to 120! Some folks have the gift of gab and don’t have problems with gaps in conversation. That can be wonderful in the proper setting, but terrible in the wrong one. There are times when we’ll chosen words are the best medicine.
It was Billy Joel who famously sang that sometimes we say the wrong thing, just to have something to say. There are also times where we can allow our emotions to take control and blurt out things we wish we could take back, but we can’t.
This week, the proverb says that the wise person uses few words. Hidden in that statement is that it takes time to select those few words to be used. When Woodrow Wilson was asked how long it took him to get ready for his speeches he responded.
“It depends. If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now.”
When talking about weather or sports, go ahead and talk away. But when talking about the matters of the heart, choose a few words carefully.
A simple method to remember when speaking is to: Pause, reflect, and then respond.
This week be wise and choose a few words for serious matters.
