Calvin Coolidge, known as a man of few words, once remarked, “I have noticed that nothing I never said ever did me any harm.” Our words can get us into trouble. When we bite our tongue, we can save ourselves grief. Too often we react before we think, blurting out words that may be offensive or insulting or make us look like a fool. Just as a carpenter learns to “measure twice, cut once” because once a piece of wood is cut it cannot be uncut, so we should learn to think twice, speak once. James advises, “My dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry,” and then warns us that our religion is vain and we are deceiving ourselves if we do not bridle our tongues.
In many circumstances, as Calvin Coolidge discovered, it is better to say nothing. Solomon said, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.” Solomon’s words inspired Abraham Lincoln to say, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open the mouth and remove all doubt.” Often we do not fully understand a situation and jump to conclusions. We need to be patient, willing to do more listening and less telling others what we think, willing to wait before interfering, to be helpful and forgiving rather than judgmental. A children’s poem by Edward H. Richards reads, “The wise old owl lived in an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard: Why can’t we all be like that bird?”
It is sad to think that many will be kept out of the kingdom because of what they have said. Jesus warns us, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” This warning should make each of us very careful of what we say. To think that we will have to answer to the judge of all the earth for every word that has come out of our mouth is frightening. We are so very thankful for the forgiveness offered by our gracious God, for without forgiveness certainly no one could be saved.
Nowadays, the speed of communication by email and websites presents new dangers that we must take seriously. More than ever before our words can get us into trouble. Postings travel to thousands of people at lightning speed. Somehow, it is easier to be insulting from afar, and terrible things have been written that probably never would have been spoken to someone in person. Once the send button is activated, the message is out on the web and we cannot retract it. Think twice, send once. No matter how strongly we may feel about issues that are swirling around us, we must remember that God is not willing that any should perish and wants all to come to repentance. To avoid offending those who may be weak in faith, we must examine each message carefully, asking ourselves, would Jesus have used these words in this situation, and are we being kind as well as truthful? The apostle Paul advised Timothy when dealing with those in error, to “speak in a gentle tone when correcting the errors of opponents, in the hope that God will at last give them repentance, for them to come to a full knowledge of the truth.”
May our words be few and well thought out, whether spoken, written, or sent out electronically. We should all be praying the prayer that David prayed when he said, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One