“If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success.” (Ecclesiastes 10:10 NASB)
My next to youngest granddaughter paid a visit this past week. After playing some basketball on a little hoop in the lower level, and after watching some cartoons, we sat down to eat. She insisted that I sit straight across from her. Out of nowhere she says with a gentle voice and a face full of innocence and integrity, “You don’t have no hair.” My retort was to point to the hair on my face and indicate, “Yes, I have hair.” Straightforward she speaks back and surprisingly says, “That’s a beard.” And then she presses her point, “You don’t have no hair.” Now if you remember me pointing to Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis Theory, you will recall where I said that we all, regardless of our age, have three parts of our personality: The Parent, The Adult, and The Child. “The Adult” part speaks “Adult” to “Adult,” where facts are stated and there is no attempt to dominate like “The Parent” does or react with a rebellious voice like “The Child” does. Well, the dialogue between my granddaughter and myself was “Adult” to “Adult.” And while she was being blunt, candid, or call it forthright, it was acceptable because she was a toddler.
As an adult, better stated, as a Christian adult, we should put away childish things and watch what we say. We must depend upon our wisdom to bring about success in our interactions in all are forums of life. Age does not give us the right to speak bluntly in such a way that it creates turmoil, tension, or trouble. Adding strength to our words by the use of tone or other features of verbal communication is not the best alternative. As you can ascertain from the verse above, wisdom is better than strength. Wisdom comes from above, an in the inspired word of God, our superior and sure source of wisdom, we are admonished to control our tongues. Now I believe this is not only applicable to our personal interactions that take place in everyday life, but it also applies to interactions where we are witnessing to someone to help them gain the grace wrapped gift of eternal life. If the truth be told, we have heard this before in some form or the others, but I have no hesitancy to repeat perhaps what you already know. Children are children. Adults are adults and we, both you and me, we must benefit and not blow away the wisdom given in The Book of James found in our closing verse. I’ll take it to heart, but now, I have to go get a hat for the day, because, I have been told, “You don’t have no hair!” Have a great start to your week on this glorious day God has allowed you to see. Be blessed!
“For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to rein in the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God;from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.” (James 3:2-10 NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King