As I’ve prayed for spiritual awareness over the years, the Lord has been patient with my lack of understanding and has graciously allowed me to labor in the area of communication. When having a conversation with someone, listening intently helps to discern what is on their mind, but it’s even more important to listen to God in order to know how he wants us to respond. For the Christian, there is no higher responsibility than to monitor and examine every thought and word before we release it.
It’s common for most people to express whatever they feel like saying. To the individual, it’s the right of their independence. For the rest of us, it’s known as not having a speech filter.
The unrenewed mind when left to do and say whatever it wants is often referred to as foolish, according to the book of Proverbs. For example, the attempt to bring instruction to those who do not think before they speak is the basis of Proverbs 26:4: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like them.”
Wasting time trying to explain only makes them more confident. If we choose to argue with someone who is not thinking clearly, we stoop to a lower level and make things worse. Since unlearned people despise wisdom, they enjoy drawing others into a conflict where they use deceit, become angry and scoff at opposing ideas.
Seldom do we meditate about what we are going to say, but we are reminded in James 1:19-20: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for wrath rarely produces the righteousness of God.”