Some Stuff I've Been Thinking About

I figure if I wait for some brilliant epiphany to post or if I get all preachy about something I read in my Bible, my input will be very sparse and hardly beneficial for anyone else. So don't get your hopes up for this post. Shed all expectations- these are just some things that have been on my mind.

Wisdom

The thing I've noticed about the people in my life that I would consider to be wise is that they don't say much, but listen intently. I think wise people understand the power of words, and understand that they need not say what is on their mind, because what is on their mind is most likely of no importance next to listening to and serving others. Think for a moment about how many Proverbs God gave us about what comes out our mouths. For example, Proverbs 12:23 says, "A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly." I couldn't count the number of times I've spoken up in small groups or classes or even general conversations just to hear myself blurt out some fact or insight that made me feel smart. All those times I proclaimed not my knowledge or understanding, but my folly and pride.

God's Wisdom Opposed to the World's Wisdom

Paul speaks of wisdom and folly repeatedly when he talks to the church at Corinth. We see that Paul held no stock in worldy wisdom as he writes "I... did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified..." Paul, who had the Scriptures memorized, who had met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, who basically founded the Church in Europe and Asia Minor, this Paul counted all these qualifications as nothing. The only thing worth knowing or talking about to him was the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ok... so I'm getting preachy (and a little bit off of my original topic), but seriously: what topic is really worthy of using words?

So Why Talk at All?

I'm sure all three of us have heard that St. Francis of Assisi quote, "Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words." Of course I don't think we need to become missionary mimes, going about our day to day business with a pen and pad to communicate. But seriously- wouldn't words count so much more if they were associated with active love for others and God? If we backed up not 10% or 5% of our words with action but all of them, think of the value that our words would hold not only to ourselves but also to others. Here's how I want to use my words: Ideally, I'll be speaking about the grace Jesus Christ and His gospel, speaking the truth in love to my brothers and sisters both for encouragement and reproof. Next I'll have to say practical things once in a while, like, "Hi my name's David, what's yours?" or maybe I'll talk in a discussion about something like "What do you think about today's lecture on the South in the Colonial period?" The main issue is that I want my words to mean something, and I don't want to speak either the corrupting or foolish talk or the crude jokes Paul warns about in his letter to the Ephesians.

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I suppose I'm beginning to see how foolish I really am, and that I really know very little that is worth talking about. Maybe the wise aren't as awesome as we might think, but really they just enjoy quietly watching the rest of us make fools of ourselves.


Hope you guys have a great week,
David