It's Only Words Series

Today, we are going to conclude our series on wisdom. I am going to conclude with wisdom of controlling our words. Because what we say can reflect on how wise we really are.

Since we are down here in the South I thought I might give you some good Redneck Wisdom. If any of them speak to your heart, you might want to write them down.

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that experience comes from bad judgment.

Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier ’n puttin’ it back in.

If you’re ridin’ ahead of the pack, take a look back every now and then to make sure they are still there.

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try

orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.

Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman. Neither one works.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

Never slap a man who’s chewin’ tobacco.

Always drink upstream from the campground.

Don’t kick a sleeping dog.

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.”

These are all excellent words of wisdom but my favorite and the one we will deal with today is this.

“After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him... The moral: When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” As rude as that sounds it is in line with God’s word.

Proverbs 10:19 “Too much talk leads to sin.

Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”

Have you met someone who talks too much? They can be annoying like fingernails on a chalkboard. However, have you ever wondered if people perceive you as someone who talks too much? There are signs that we may be guilty of talking too much.

Think about the last time you had lunch with someone. Who did the majority of the talking? Was the subject more about you than you friend? Did you interrupt your friend because what you had to add to the conversation was so much more interesting than what your friend was sharing? Do you do the same thing with your spouse, or any family members?

How are you likely to begin a conversation? Do you often begin sharing a funny story from your life or an observation that is important to you? Do you prompt others to begin a conversation by asking questions about their life and observations? Are

conversations with you balanced or spotlighting your life? Are you boring people? Do people answer you with a casual “Yeah” or “U-huh” in hopes you do not elaborate farther? Do they get a distant look in their eyes as if their minds are wondering? Do they become jittery, looking for away to escape from you without hurting your feelings?

How often do you say more than you meant too? Do you let things slip out? Do you share an embarrassing moment and than realize it was inappropriate? Do you allow yourself to share a rude or hurtful opinion about someone and than regret it?

All of these things can reveal that perhaps we talk too much. The word “talk” in the passage related to something weighty or heavy. It was something dull. The type of talk that leads to sin is burdensome. It’s filled with those things that displease God.

We have a tendency to brag about a lot of things. We brag about our possessions. We brag about our families. If we are not careful, these things can become a source of pride. We can begin to look on these things with haughty eyes and our speech becomes more centered on the gift from God than the giver of the gift.

We must guard against the evil of comparison. The Bible says to be content in all things. Comparison destroys contentment. And when we find ourselves discontent with our realities we may be tempted to exaggerate through our speech and find ourselves exaggerating facts. In other words, lying.

The Bible says the remedy to this problem is to keep your words to yourself if they are not beneficial.

John Wesley was a great English preacher of the 1700’s. He was considered a rather spiffy dresser. One Sunday morning he wore a bow tie that had long ribbons that hung downward. After the sermon was over a lady walked up to him and said, "Brother Wesley, are you open to some criticism?"

He replied, "I guess so. What would you like to criticize?"

She answered, "The ribbons on your tie are entirely too long and inappropriate for a man of God." And she took out her scissors and cut them off.