The Wisdom in Restraining One's Lips
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
I encountered the above verse a few days ago in my daily Bible reading plan. (I'm still on course with my New Year's resolution to read through the entire Bible in 2006, by the way. Due largely, I think, to having announced to all of you that I was committing to it.)
The verse reminded me of why I am even bothering to correct my conversational patterns in the first place [see my February 17th post entitled, A Lightbulb Moment]: I need more wisdom in my life. So lately, I'm concentrating on eliminating my unwise behaviors. It's still not "natural" for me to restrain my lips in some situations, but my "urge to blurt" is quieting down little by little as I withhold permission to indulge the impulse.
Reminds me of that old saying about listening twice as much as you speak since you have two ears and only one mouth. A friend commented last week that a person can learn some pretty amazing things from others if he restrains his lips. He said that he's found it effective in drawing out deep things in others.
A couple days later another friend shared a comment her uncle would make to her as a young girl: If you are always doing the talking, others will end up twice as smart as you. They will not only retain all the knowledge they have accumulated, but they will also have your knowledge in addition theirs. Listen more and you can be this smart too.
Hey, wait a minute... I think I just practiced what my two friends were saying -- I accumulated some wisdom from them as I listened. Thanks, guys. You know, I might actually get the hang of this...
-- Proverbs 10:19
I encountered the above verse a few days ago in my daily Bible reading plan. (I'm still on course with my New Year's resolution to read through the entire Bible in 2006, by the way. Due largely, I think, to having announced to all of you that I was committing to it.)
The verse reminded me of why I am even bothering to correct my conversational patterns in the first place [see my February 17th post entitled, A Lightbulb Moment]: I need more wisdom in my life. So lately, I'm concentrating on eliminating my unwise behaviors. It's still not "natural" for me to restrain my lips in some situations, but my "urge to blurt" is quieting down little by little as I withhold permission to indulge the impulse.
Reminds me of that old saying about listening twice as much as you speak since you have two ears and only one mouth. A friend commented last week that a person can learn some pretty amazing things from others if he restrains his lips. He said that he's found it effective in drawing out deep things in others.
A couple days later another friend shared a comment her uncle would make to her as a young girl: If you are always doing the talking, others will end up twice as smart as you. They will not only retain all the knowledge they have accumulated, but they will also have your knowledge in addition theirs. Listen more and you can be this smart too.
Hey, wait a minute... I think I just practiced what my two friends were saying -- I accumulated some wisdom from them as I listened. Thanks, guys. You know, I might actually get the hang of this...
posted by Linda at
12:49 PM
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