Minding Your Thoughts
A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life
Proverbs 29:11
A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
Everyone knows someone like this. People who speak their mind without reserve. They have an opinion and can’t wait to tell everyone what it is. Say anything about any matter and they just have to tell you what they think about it. Concerning any subject, they have a mind full of reasons, facts, judgments and thoughts that they just know are so and must share them with everyone else. There are those who utter their entire mind at any opening to do so, and then there are those who maintain reserve, they contemplate over the issue, they learn facts, and then if needed or invited, they share their thoughts.
Years ago, in business as a youngster just starting out, I was to be involved in a big meeting concerning a very important sales contract that our company was trying to win. Not only were there numerous employees of the future client present, but there were also representatives from our competitors. One of our most senior managers told me before the meeting, “Notice the one who speaks the most in this meeting, that person is the weakest in the room, don’t concern yourself too much with what they have to say, but pay very close attention to the person who speaks sparingly, that person is the decision maker.”
This seemed wrong to me at the time, but now almost four decades later, having been in many meetings, that which my old boss said has been proven right over and over. Truly, A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. It takes a mighty multitude of words to utter all that is in the mind. Ecclesiastes states clearly though, …a fool’s voice is known by a multitude of words. (Ecclesiastes 5:3) Someone once said, “God gave us two ears and one mouth, so evidently He meant for us to listen twice as much as we speak.” The same could be said for eyes, perhaps we should also observe twice as much as we speak. If brevity is truly the art of wit, as some say, there are many witless people about.
What does it mean …keepeth it in till afterwards? It means to wait until all information has been gathered, considered, perhaps prayed over, and weighed on the scale of God’s Holy Word, then utter your mind about the subject at hand.
As a parting comment consider another wise saying, “Be very careful about giving others a piece of your mind, for you only have so many pieces, if you give them all away you will lose your mind a piece at a time.” In today’s verse God’s Word subtly confirms that truth by stating two opposing conditions: Keeping your mind or uttering it all away. After all, there are enough fools who spout out all that is in their mind all the time and at any place. What is needed is sound judgment from those who mind their thoughts, formulate them, and when time and place allow, share them.
May the Lord Bless and be pleased with your thought life today.
William T. Howe, Ph.D.
Yorumlar