Thinking Before Answering

 Many people are not very good at listening to others. Listening takes skill. To be a good listener we must concentrate on what the other person is saying, so that we fully understand what they are trying to communicate. That takes time and effort. We must seek to connect with the other person emotionally, too. Then, once we grasp what is being said, we must think about what our proper response will be. Once we have thought it through, only then can we give the correct answer. This final step in the process is a principle from one of Solomon's proverbs. (Proverbs 15:28) The mind of a righteous person thinks before answering, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things. Let's take a minute to consider this truth.

We are righteous when we come to know Christ as our Lord and Savior, and then we live in right relationship with God and other people. The righteous person loves the Lord and other people. Therefore, he or she wants to do God's will and be a servant to others. This leads the righteous person to relate well to other people in love. Therefore, the righteous person knows to think before answering, so that the answer pleases the Lord and is edifying to the other person. On the other hand, the mouth of the wicked just blurts out an answer before thinking. Since the mouth of the wicked person is full of evil things that come from the heart, what comes out are evil things, things that will not help, but hurt the other person. No thought is given to the answer. The wicked person is not concerned for the other person, but he or she just wants to make themselves look good. I am sure we have all experienced both kinds of people. I pray we will all be righteous people who think before we answer, so we can be a very positive influence on all the people with whom we relate.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Proverbs 16-19.