Have you had your Joy Juice today? Before you answer that question, ponder your words!
J
Do you ever
speak before you think? I guess we all
do that at times…some of us more often than others. The Bible tells us to be “quick to listen and
slow to speak”. Several passages address
speaking too soon. We are cautioned to be diligent in choosing our words
wisely. To get all the facts & put
ourselves in the other person’s shoes. We should listen carefully before we
jump to any conclusions. The best thing
we can do is to take a minute to pray before we speak; that would certainly
avoid a lot of trouble regarding our words.
Proverbs 31 Speaker and author, Karen Ehman,
suggests two habits that we should develop. She says:
- Perfect the art of pause.
- Ponder what the other person said (as we examine the facts.)
Pausing
throughout a conversation….maybe even purposefully counting to ten…gives us
time to examine our words and think about what we should
say. Pondering helps us to hold our tongue & keeps us from jumping to
conclusions before we have all the facts. As Proverbs 18:13 wisely reminds us:
“The one who gives an answer before he listens—this is foolishness and
disgrace for him.”
Let’s listen first, be slow to speak, and be
joyfully kind to others.
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