Today’s scripture: Proverbs 21:21-31 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Julie Walsh):
My friend, Brad, was recently elected to serve on the board of directors for a nonprofit organization. His introduction to the team, however, proved to be quite fiery. Prior to his first meeting, his friend Jenna emailed an inflammatory letter filled with pointed observations and accusations about the organization’s patterns of inattention and inactivity. As she closed her letter, Jenna asked for those who had also witnessed the problems to speak out in her defense. Brad agreed with many of the issues that Jenna laid out and was filled with passion for the cause. He immediately penned a two page response not only to back up his friend, but because he recognized the impact the problems were creating, even though he was not intimately aware of the details. His writing was almost as harsh as Jenna’s, demanding that the officers answer for themselves.
With a torrent of thunderstorms downing the electricity for the night, Brad was temporarily without an internet connection and had to wait until morning to send off his response. Brad went on to tell me that when he cracked open his Bible that night for his regular time of devotions, God seemed to be talking directly to him: “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” He felt convicted. He knew that everything he had written was true, but this proverb stopped him long enough to consider that there might be a gentler way to handle the matter.
At daybreak, Brad edited his response into two short paragraphs that acknowledged — in a more positive, solution-focused tone — that there were some valid matters that should be openly discussed as a full board. At the next board meeting Jenna was under attack by every other person sitting in the room, and Brad gained additional information and perspective about situations of which he had previously been unaware. He realized at that moment that, had he shot off his original message, he could have jeopardized his respect as a board member, a Christian, and a businessman in the community.
I think each of us is like Brad sometimes. We know better, but we fail to use restraint or to censor ourselves in time. Our spirits feel convicted after its too late.
But what would it look like if that conviction happened before our tongues were unbridled? How can we, as Christians, make that happen? I would submit that because moving our lips, or scribing words in Brad’s case, is putting our thoughts into action, then it is the original thought that needs to be evaluated and sometimes changed. Just as live TV now has a five second delay to censor potential issues, so should we give pause to the words we say in response to one another. Our respect — that which we receive and that which we feel for ourselves — is on the line.
Prayer for the day: God, teach me to slow down my response time so that I may carefully reflect on the words I say to others.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.