Friday; July 14

When Jesus was instructing His earliest disciples He did some teaching about making vows or taking oaths.  The concept was simply that a person’s word should be good enough on its own – disciples shouldn’t have to “swear” to make something believable.  In summarizing His instruction He said, “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” (Matthew 5:37) 
Over the last few days I have found myself contemplating this concept.  No, I am not routinely swearing oaths or taking vows, but I am discovering that the more I talk the more dumb stuff I say.  Rarely do I get in trouble for saying too little, but on several occasions I have made the mistake of saying too much.  When I talk too much I tend to be insensitive to others and I am apt to discuss things that are superficial at best.  The more words I use the more I am tempted to focus on myself and the less influence I seem to have on others. 
We live in a time and place where we have ample opportunities to speak our minds.   We also have an incredible amount of education and the aptitude to express ourselves in eloquent ways.  While these are all great blessings it can be challenging to know how to start and when to stop.  Let’s develop the wisdom to know what to say, when to share it and the best way to express it. 
         Think About It!

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