Job Chapter 15. Be quick to listen and slow to speak.
Once again Eliphaz speaks to Job and I can only imagine that the conversation is beginning to get very heated up. Accusations are going back and forth. Eliphaz confronts Job with these two points:
1. He tells Job you're not as smart as you think you are.
2. And you're not as righteous as you think you are.
Eliphaz's anger seems to be pretty high at this point when he speaks because he says, “Listen to me!” Followed with, “Wicked men suffer torment!” making the defense that Job is indeed a wicked man.
1. With some people you might be able to get away with such counsel, but it goes to show, we don't know the heart of man. Only God does.
2. I am reminded that there are times we may feel 100% accurate with our “great words of wisdom” but in reality, we missed the Mark, we are wrong.
3. That's why we have to be very careful how we present our “truth” or our wisdom. Such words need to be filled with humility, grace, mercy, and patience.
1. Proverbs 18:21 says the tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit.
2. James 1:19-20 says be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.
Once we become angry, we could be quick to speak and then our words become evil. If we get in an argument with someone and they say something that we find offensive, then it's easy to want to retaliate with words. If we are not slow to speak it is during these times we often speak, not life into the person, but evil and destructive words that you only wish you could take back. There's great wisdom in taking a time out to calm down and get one's words together.
I’m thinking that the words spoken by Eliphaz probably felt like sword thrusts to Job as we read about in Proverbs 12:18-19.
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
May God help us to think before we speak and be careful to choose our words wisely. I’ve heard of an acronym for THINK which stands for True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary & Kind. This could probably be applied to our thoughts and actions as well as to our words.
I’m reminded today of Philippians 4:8.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Hey Jim, I recently was given a card that says, “Before you speak, THINK.”
Is it True
Is it Helpful
Is it Inspiring
Is it Necessary
Is it Kind
I like it!