Think Before you Speak
Looks like we have jumped to summer, at least for a day or two. However, my summer-time plans to get out and work in the yard, gave way to a “lazy summer afternoon nap.” I will wait until tomorrow to do some yard work, the weather is suppose to be 
good all week.
While at yesterday’s event I was part of a group picture of some of the Larimer County GOP Executive Committee. In the picture is State Senator Kevin Lundberg and in the background we caught U.S. Senator Cory Gardner and State Senator Mark Scheffel and State Senator Chris Holbert from Douglas County.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Think before you speak, and don’t make any rash promises to God. He is in heaven and you are on earth, so don’t say any more than you have to. The more you worry, the more likely you are to have bad dreams, and the more you talk, the more likely you are to say something foolish.” Ecclesiastes 5:2,3
Having a background in ministry and politics, “words” become an occupational hazard. They often confuse more than clarify. They can be taken out of context or may lack the context you have on your mind. Sometimes your words are too many and for others they can be too few. I recall when a “trick question” was asked me when I was a school board candidate in one of my first elected offices. The question was something like, “since you are a pastor, do you believe in the separation of church and state and does serving on the school board place you in a position of conflict?” My answer was, “yes and no.” The response was, “can you elaborate?” My response, “do I need to?” I actually did give a response. But it reminded me how the Pharisees tried to trick “Jesus with their words.”
Before I use too many words to discuss “words” let’s consider the words of Solomon. Solomon advises giving careful consideration before you make promises to God. He is basically saying, “remember who God is.” God knows your heart and He knows that future. He knows whether you are insincere or not and knows if you are getting in over your head. There are some comical illustrations of this concept, but one of the saddest is a real one. I recall when my children were in College they learned of a student who really prayed to the Lord and promised if He provided money for college, she would go. The Lord did provide a large sum of money to the young person, but she did not continue in her college education and was struggling in her life. Life tends to not go well when we treat with contempt, the provision of the Lord.
Think before you speak! That is good advice. But difficult to do, I find it more fun to “just shoot from the hip.” This give me wife job security in doing “damage control.” Debbie (who doesn’t have a weight problem) shared a FaceBook post with me that reported, “Women who weigh a few extra pounds tend to live longer, than the men who point them out!” I’m glad my longevity is secure.
Solomon then points out a cause and effect relationship between ” excess worry” and “excess words.” Our minds do impact our ability to rest. On Friday night, I thought through and memorized my invocation for the following day while I slept or was trying to sleep. Anxiety during the day, difficult decisions that confront us tend to impact our ability to sleep. Some guidelines from the Mayo Clinic on how to “get a good night of sleep” includes,
“Manage stress – When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace, consider healthy ways to manage stress.” (http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/)
The Lord promises rest to those who “come to Him” (Matthew 11:28) and to those who “abide in His presence.” (Psalm 91:1)
Then Solomon observes, “the more you talk, the more likely you are to say something foolish.” How I wish that were not true. Some times you think you are trying to redeem your words and you only dig a deeper hole. And when you are in politics someone is standing by to give you a “bigger shovel” and take notes.
Solomon’s words ring true, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19) The Apostle Paul put forth this challenges, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:6) This is not “salty or sultry” speech, but words that “add value and make people want to preserve them.”
Once again we find ancient words, bringing practical words for today. But I used too many words in commenting about the topic. As I said in the beginning…“occupational hazard.”