Proverbs 10:19
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”

Ever run into someone who just plain has verbal diarrhea? Are you impressed with their character? Intelligence? Wisdom? I have, know some, wonder when they are going to breath. They have the emotional depth of a puddle. I’m no scholar, but I love to think, love to ponder many things about how the world works, from people to machines to a sunrise (I’m way ADD, so that helps in picking up things to ponder).

There’s a saying “take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth”. Why is that true? Wagging the tongue is a foil for avoiding silence. In silence we hear God. Talk is cheap and easy, a way to express self. Silence brings peace and allows God to talk to us.

There are times to talk, there are times to listen. There are times to do, there are times to reflect. It’s about a rhythm and cadence in your life. It’s about priorities. It’s about percentages – where are your priorities when it comes to investing your resources? If we want to be more like Jesus (that’s what living a Christ like life is about, right?) we have to have Him as our priority. We have to be intentional about how we allocate our resources.

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and Third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” Confucius

Talk is shallow and cheap when it’s plentiful and never-ending. It indicates someone who is more interested in what they think than what God thinks. Take time to hear the world around you, the people around you, the joy and pain around you. Listen for the layers beneath the veneer. Let God filter it all for you. Let Him pour in His wisdom. When you then speak, your words will be infused with His wisdom, with His love, with His grace.