I meet a lot of quick-witted people. You know the type I am speaking about. Those who are good with words, who can think on a dime with a logical mind. They can let words flow so freely in any situation and they are very difficult to back into a corner. When they are confronted with some meanness, they are able to argue their way out of it, returning a greater meanness. Someone speaks a word that is a little slanted and they quickly overpower them with their little slanted words. The quick-witted tongues push the slower-tongued back and on the retreat. You see it, especially between brethren in the church. Those same people can hammer home the points in their favor while giving little thought to the one they just struck down with their tongue. Some of the most quick-witted can really thump someone with a great degree of calmness.
Why am I speaking this? Those quick with the tongue as I just described are very prone to be tempted easily. They do not realize it but it is true. It is so automatic for them to fire the arrows without thought of their targets because they are use to taking aim with ease! They have become so good over the years, giving themselves in situations of discussions to defending themselves, they can easily explain away their own sinfulness by turning their sins on to the one they are jabbing! What a shame! They are very difficult to reach with God and they have little desire to change because their tongue has taken them a long way! They are led into ruin and try to ruin others in their usage of their mouth. And they, many times, are my brother and sister in Christ.
People do not take into account the power behind the tongue. It's not God, but hell (Jam. 3:6). Until a person submits their tongue to the Lord, under His power, the tongue will be used to destroy others around while establishing our own self righteousness! But one thing we need to keep in mind: the day is coming when we will stand face to face with the eternal One, the Almighty and He alone will know every single time we used our tongues to the destruction of another. The Lord God knows the motives behind our words, what we meant by our words, how we walked away gloating because we put that brother or sister in their place and well concealed malice used in a slick worded exchange. The quick-witted think they can out-talk and out-quip anyone only to learn God knows the depth of their motives and will speak the last and final words in the chapter of their lives. Maybe we should rethink how we use our tongues?
2 comments:
Even if you are not one of these "quick-witted" people (I'm not sure how a quick-witted would know they are that way to begin with given the position they are in to start with.), the power of the tongue is tremendous in all of us. We find example after example in the Bible of how powerful the tongue is and how we should work to control that power.
Through much trial and error and the patience granted through God and His Word, I have started to learn to be extremely careful with all the words I speak. Sounds somewhat funny to say that given my age.
Often it's those closest to us that we unleash this tremendous power of the tongue on. Our mates and our children have these arrows thrown at them so carefree and frequently that we don't realize it's happening at all or the impacts imparted. A marriage can be ruined or a child crushed by simple words, or even the lack of simple words due to our desire to be quick-witted, either intentionally or not. If we are that way with those closest to us, how can we be any different with our brothers and sisters in Christ?
Stop and think. Sounds simple, but I'm still learning to do it. You don't always have to respond. You don't always have to be a step ahead in the conversation. You don't need to be "on guard" or ready to argue. Stop and think. I believe the same applies if you are the one starting a conversation. Stop and think. Choose your words carefully and remember how great an impact they may have one someone, maybe a spouse or a child or maybe a brother or sister.
I'm not sure, but perhaps that's why I have found that listening most of the time, is far more important than speaking. I have personally noticed that older people (at least older than myself....) tend to be much more ready to listen and not so quick to speak.
Amen...and then there is silence! Thank you brother.
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