When Fewer Words Show More Wisdom
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In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
--Proverbs 10:19 (NKJV)
In Ireland, legend says that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will receive the gift of gab. But I think some people are born with the ability to talk continuously. We find such people everywhere, and they can drone on and on. Those who give never-ending speeches or long-winded prayers might seek to show off their knowledge or make themselves appear wiser.
King Solomon might nod his head in agreement. He wrote today’s proverb to address this issue. This idea of speaking with too many words gets mentioned other times in the Bible as well. Solomon wants us to understand that the number of words can lead to exaggeration and even untruthfulness. He reminds us that wisdom comes from picking the right words and is not based on the number of words. Solomon also tells us that a wise man will guard his words. (Proverbs 13:3, ESV)
I know there have been times when I’ve used too many words in prayer, thinking I needed to explain everything to God. Yet he already knows my heart before I speak. Sometimes we hide behind religious language, hoping our words sound more impressive than our hearts truly are. God already knows them all. We can’t hide things from our Savior. We gain wisdom from heeding Solomon’s words to keep our words and prayers simple. I catch myself praying long prayers when a simple, honest conversation with God would have been enough.
Jesus himself taught that our Father knows what we need before we ask Him, as shown in Matthew 6:8 (NIV): “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Questions for Reflection:
1. What do you do when someone is talking to much?
2. Have you had moments where you feel like you have to explain everything to God in great detail? What did you do about it?
