Witty Banter

DAY 27- Proverbs 29

"Do you see the man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him." -v20 NIV The Message translation says it this way, "Observe the people who always talk before they think - even simpletons are better off than they are."

Sometimes I speak quicker than I should. Yes, I do talk at a rapid pace, but I'm referring to how quickly I respond to others. I don't always take enough time to consider what I have just heard, but begin to reply sometimes before the other person has even finished speaking.

Witty banter is my favorite sytle of writing in television shows and movies. The West Wing was a perfect example of this quick come-back or snappy repartee that I love so much. I think I often approach conversation that way. If I'm so focused on what I'm to say next, I can't be doing a very good job of listening. And I'm certainly not pausing long enough to hear what the other person is truly expressing before I reply to it. That probably doesn't give the Holy Spirit much opportunity to guide my words.

This is not going to be something I can change very easily about myself. I've been this way for a long time. I wonder how many people I could have been a better friend to if I had not spoken in haste, but had listened more intently. I don't even want to know how many times I've hurt someone, created a problem, or simply looked like a fool because I spoke in haste.

I don't want to be this way any longer. It's selfish, has no value or significance, and only seems to stroke my ego. "Lord, forgive me. Help me change the way I listen to others, to pause and think about my words before I talk, and to allow You to speak through me."