Today’s reading: Proverbs 29:20
“Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20).
Over the years I’ve learned that, more often than not, taking time to pause before responding to someone is a good practice. This is especially important when the conversation involves a disagreement, discipline or giving counsel or advice. I often refer to this short period of holding back as “the ten second rule.” (A good friend refers to her practice of pausing before responding by this name, so this is actually a borrowed phrase.)
Ten seconds may not sound like much time, but it can literally make or break a situation. That brief time where I’m intentional about holding my tongue, allows me to shoot up a prayer to God asking for wisdom, further assess the emotions, demeanor, body language and attitude of the person(s) I’m talking with and gather my thoughts so I can offer my best words to respond.
In what type of situations are you most tempted to be “hasty with your words”? How has holding back and not responding immediately been of benefit to you? Do you utilize something like the ten second rule? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
