Say What?

In Ecclesiastes 7:21 Solomon warned, “Do not take seriously all the words which are spoken…” The fact is, people say things—sometimes things they don’t really mean. We often respond, “Oh yeah? Then why did they say it if they didn’t mean it?” To this Solomon responded, “Haven’t you ever said something you didn’t mean?” All of us would have to say, “Yes,” to that question. Maybe we said something in anger. Perhaps we were tired, sick or irritated, and so out came those words that we later regretted.

Yet, this isn’t a passage about guarding one’s words, but rather about guarding one’s ears. We need to be careful about running too far, overreacting to the words of others. We need to be a little more thick-skinned. Don’t take everything so personally. Give people a break. We all say things we don’t mean or say them in a way that upsets the hearer.

Christianity is a religion of tenderness, compassion and forgiveness. Rather than being quick to anger or being easily offended, let’s give each other a dose of kindness. I know I need it. Do you?