Our text today is Proverbs 29:20.
“Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
I doubt if any of us would question the truth of this verse. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we say something before we think.
In Judges 11, when Jephthah was called upon to lead Israel against the enemy, he made a rash vow. He promised God, “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” He should have thought about it a little longer. He had the victory, and when he returned home, it was his daughter, his only child, who came out to meet him. He certainly regretted his rash vow.
On a more positive note, we all should appreciate Proverbs 15:28: “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers.”
By pausing to think before we speak, we show respect for others and ourselves. Our words gain weight, meaning, and kindness.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.