James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
This passage of scripture speaks to us of a very common problem that affects us from time to time, and the appropriate counsel is given, so that we would avoid saying in hastiness, that which we would later wish to retract. When hasty words are spoken, the damage thus done can never be thoroughly undone, and it often takes a considerable amount of time for spoken wounds to heal. One of the causes of speaking hastily without thinking, is the tendency to rush to conclusions about the actions and motives of others, a habit which often leads to numerous evils and alienation.
In our evaluation of certain situations which may occur between ourselves and our peers, we should always be willing to give the other person the benefit of the doubt, for in most cases we are incapable of rightly judging motives and consequent actions, which only God alone can accurately read. This is what took place when the mother of the prophet Samuel, came to the sanctuary of God in bitterness of soul, because of the taunts of her rival over her inability to bear children. In her utter discouragement, she poured out her soul unto God, in words and expressions that only God could understand, for her speech was not understandable nor clear to the human ear.
Eli the priest saw her apparently mumbling to herself and then hastily concluded that she had been drinking alcohol, whereupon he erroneously reproved her for drunkenness. Let's read:
1st Samuel 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.
In our own experiences we should be very careful to avoid the temptation to judge the actions and motives of others, for in doing so we can say and do things that are totally unwarranted, being based on our own interpretation of events. When in doubt, or whenever we do not have verifiable facts at our disposal, let's remember the advice of the apostle James, being ready to hear yet very slow to speak, for when this admonition is acted on, our words which are fitly spoken are like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which teaches us the valuable lesson of self-denial in speech, and if by the grace of God, good self-control under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit is exercised on a daily basis, we will discover that our words can be a very powerful influence for good, for they will be a savor of life unto life. Let's read:
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
May God help us today and forever, that these counsels may be implemented in our everyday experiences, for it is His will that Christians shed a sweet fragrance by words wherever we may go. God bless!