Are you Wise?

Dear Friend,

Check out some tidbits from the devotional written by my good friend from San Diego?

Good Morning Ladies (and few gents),

GiG, most of us can attest that our lives are jam-packed full of both wonderful and horrible things—some of which we didn’t think we would survive. OUCH or Amen! And yet, here we are, going strong and looking forward to the next chapter of life; convinced it is going to be a thrill ride that's just as breathtaking as the greatest roller coaster known to man. I don’t know about you but I’m sitting back, strapping in, and letting the wooden (horrible things) and steel (wonderful things) track take me on the ride of my life.

As I ponder the celebration of another birthday, I cannot help but laugh and celebrate how God has wired me. Just the other day, Darrell and I were talking about the moral shifts in society, fashion trends, etc. and a thought popped into my head for a t-shirt and rolled off my tongue before I could tame it. “It’s 2020; if you got close enough to read this, you’re an idiot. Six feet saves lives: COVID-19.” He laughed and said, “Yup, just entered DEA’s world.”

You just got a glimpse of my Judge Judy. Unfortunately, Judge, lies dormant in us all and it’s our universal Saboteur. That part of us that “beats us up repeatedly over mistakes or shortcomings, warns us obsessively about future risks, wakes us up in the middle of the night worrying, gets us fixated on what is wrong with others or our life, etc.” I recently finished reading a book by researcher Shirzad Chamine entitled, Positive Intelligence, that helps one recognize thought patterns that get in the way of us routinely accomplishing our best.

What I recognize is that the secular community is finally catching up with what scripture urges us to do “take every thought captive” (2 Cor. 10:5). But the Judge that lives in us all isn’t alone. He uses one or more “accomplice” Saboteurs to hijack our thoughts.

2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. 3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. Proverbs 13:2-3 NKJV

Maybe the KJV or NKJV is not your cup of tea; here’s this verse in The Message Translation.

2 The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation; bullies push and shove their way through life. 3 Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything. Proverbs 13:2-3 MSG

GiG, Proverbs 13 reminds us that being a good listener adds depth to our relationships. Unfortunately, too many of us don’t communicate with the goal of both listening and learning; instead we’re listening and thinking about our rebuttal. OUCH! Fact is that our goal isn’t to speak just for the sake of talking. Take note, there’s is a time to speak words of wisdom and there is a time to remain quiet.

Solomon taught that our words have consequences. Our words influence results (v. 2). Our words can bring good or have the potential to destroy. Maybe you too were told, “It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.” But might I add just one more element, “When you say it.” Yup, we need wisdom to know when to remain quiet.

GiG, a wise person is comfortable with silence and uses discretion in sharing information (v. 3). Are you wise?

May we be encouraged by the teaching found in Proverbs 13. Let’s demonstrate wisdom with our words and not foolishness. Remember our Judge is our greatest internal enemy, activating our other top Saboteurs, and therefore causing us much of our stress and unhappiness—resulting in a reduction of our effectiveness for the Kingdom.

God’s Got It…so we can DRAW NEAR—Foolish people have a hard time being quiet, but constant talking reveals a swiss cheese character, holes, holes and more holes. Wise people listen more than they speak.

DEA