Proverbs 25:15 ¶ By long forbearing is a prince persuaded,
and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away
wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
There is practical advice in this Proverb for
all times and places, for the Christian as well as the tenth century BC Hebrew.
I have seen it in my own life and it is very hard to accomplish as you so much
want to slash and cut with your words when hurt, deprived of something that you
rightfully deserve, or receive an injustice. A soft-spoken word is often more
powerful than all the temper tantrums in the world. We all know from popular
culture that the toughest guys in the westerns speak without screaming and
yelling. The John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, James Arness type of western heroes
are soft spoken but very powerful characters.
David spoke with a soft tongue to Saul who was
pursuing him to kill him and Abigail used a soft tongue in speaking to David
who was bent on Nabal’s destruction. Gideon with a soft tongue pacified the
Ephraimites.
A prince is persuaded with patience. Patience
and perseverance are important traits for a Christian. We are to respectfully
make our request and with quiet assurance and confidence expect our desired
result, if it is within God’s will for us to receive it. There is no advantage
for a Christian to use violent language or outbursts, to demand or threaten. If
the Christian is acting within God’s will he knows that he has God on his side.
You and God are a majority in every decision.
We should certainly speak softly to each other
and kindly.
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath
forgiven you.
Aren’t there enough angry, loud, demanding
people in the world? Would you not stand out more by your persistent patience
and soft-spoken confidence?
Proverbs 25:16 ¶ Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is
sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known
unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
It is an understandable maxim. Don’t overdo
anything. The Ancient Egyptians had a saying which was found written on a
papyrus; “We live on a third of what we eat. Our doctors live on the other two
thirds.” Americans have made an art form out of overindulgence. Alcohol, drugs,
food, material possessions, and obsessions with things sexual fill our news and
entertainment worlds.
In today’s world we have information coming at
us from every direction in ways our ancestors never dreamed of. Do you spend
too much time fretting over the news which seems so similar to me decade after
decade with just the names changing? Jobs moving overseas or coming back, a
crisis in the Middle East, the world and its money problems, and our own
political games all keep ringing in our heads in every generation. Do you watch
the news and worry over it so much that it makes you sick? Maybe a key to your
cure is to spend more time reading God’s words than listening to some talking
head on the TV or disembodied voice on your computer or phone.
In our information age we have become addicted
to knowing. But what do we really know when it’s all said and done? Emails go
around spreading lies, news site after news site repeat the same misinformation
copied from one source. It isn’t so much that we have a great deal of news and
solid information available to us but that we have a great deal of propaganda
coming at us from every direction.
Older people can spend too much time thinking
about the past. As Solomon points out in Ecclesiastes there is a time for
everything and it is not wise to say that days past were better than now. Man
has been sinful and wicked in every age. Each generation has looked at several
generations ahead in shock at the new things they are doing and allowing, and
yet, there is nothing new under the sun. I even have read of Roman philosophers
lamenting at how the latest generation in their day was disrespectful of their
elders and lazy good for nothings two thousand years ago. Give your memories
adequate but limited time to occupy your mind lest you become useless to impart
the wisdom you’ve learned to the young person in front of you today by
constantly crying over a past long gone.
So, young people, be selective in how much you eat, drink,
sleep, are entertained, and enlightened. Do different things throughout the
day. Don’t sit glued to the glass toilet, hellivision in your living room for
hours. Don’t stay attached to Facebook or some other social media for hours. We
all need food, exercise, companionship, work, and most of all, our spiritual
food in moderation. I can remember for a couple of years trying to read the
Bible through each month. It took a great deal of time and I missed a lot of
things because I was unable to concentrate for the length of time it took to
accomplish my task. So, I still read every day but less than an hour for
reading is all I can stay focused on.
The more time you spend in the world, though,
the less time you’ll spend in the word. Remember that. Start your day with the
Bible and prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment