Let Your Words Be Few

Every day, we speak thousands of words and likely hear even more, depending on how much time we spend watching television, scrolling through social media, or listening to podcasts.

Language is a gift from God, one often taken for granted by many. In fact, language is divine. The ability to communicate through spoken and written words is one of the many attributes God has placed within us as beings created in the Imago Dei. Through the Logos (The Word) God spoke the universe into existence ex nihilo (out of nothing).

In the beginning… God said, 'Let there be light' and from that moment on, God has continued to speak words of light and life into our lives.

When employed rightly, then, our words both affirm our existence as beings created in God’s image and, at the same time, can birth ideas, build communities, and impact lives in ways that honor God and edify others. Communication matters because what and how we communicate has the potential to glorify God and generate outcomes that would inspire us, or others, to follow the trail and trajectory of our words and say of their results, “it is good.”

That’s why some people work diligently to refine their communication skills—mastering rhetoric, building vocabulary, employing logic, and cultivating the discipline of listening—arts that, unfortunately, are increasingly rare in our society (Thinking is especially a lost art today, as it’s been said, “thinking takes hard work that’s why so few people do it.” But we’ll circle back to this subject at another time).

Reality affirms, though, that Communicatio est necessarium vitae (Communication is an essential in life). Our effectiveness in society hinges on the words we choose and the grace in which we speak them. Yet too often, freedom of speech has become more mendacious and destructive than veracious and constructive. Public and private communication alike desperately need humility to balance the hubris that surrounds us—in academia, the political arena, the marketplace, social media, our homes, and even the Church.

Plato once said, 'Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools speak because they have to say something.'

That line feels almost prophetic in our day. So many people speak, or post, before they think. My elementary school librarian would often tell us ad nauseum, “Children, put your brain in gear before engaging your mouth.”

In hindsight, those are good words for our world today. Here’s an even better way of communicating this truth.

Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19).

Our culture is the antithesis… slow to hear, quick to speak and to do so apoplectically.

So how do we get better? How do we communicate with grace, and truth? How do we talk, and more importantly listen to each other.

We begin with God… the Author of everything, including language.

If we want to improve our conversations with others (and even the dialogue within ourselves), we must first invest in our communion with God through prayer—speaking to Him… listening to Him… and learning from His Word.

Communication is key, but prayer is life. And our lives depend on it. In the words of E. Stanley Jones:

I am better or worse as I pray more or less. If my prayer life sags, my whole life sags with it. If my prayer life goes up, my life as a whole goes up. To fail here means I fail all down the line; to succeed here means I succeed everywhere.

So today… this week… for the rest of your life:

• Choose your words wisely.
• Speak your words truthfully.
• Listen to the words of others intently.
• And “Have a little talk with Jesus.”

Chat with Jesus often and throughout your day. Listen even more. In the words of Ecclesiastes 5:2, “Let your words be few.”

Do this, and your communication with others will improve, your relationships will deepen, and your understanding of the world will broaden. Tap into the Vine, Who is also the Word, and you will begin to more fully understand, and experience, Jesus’ promise of abundant life (John 10:10).