A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 29: 20

Proverbs 29: 20     Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 29: 20.  At some point, someone is going to confront you and ask for your reaction to something that you know little or nothing about.  The demand may be from a reporter shoving a microphone in your face, or a pushy bystander holding a camera-phone, or a peer with hand on hip saying, “Well, So-and-so said that they heard that you said......”

However the query comes, your interrogator will demand that you give an immediate answer.

The Bible calls it a hasty answer, and reflects upon the mentality of those people develop the  habit of giving hasty answers.  Proverbs 29:20 calls such people worse-than-stupid.

The endless cycle of news and the endless supply of supposedly-expert testimony-givers creates pressure to post/text/tweet/blog/give an answer as hastily as possible.  Everyone else has something to say, so you also feel compelled to say------ something. 

The problem is that you cannot speak intelligently when you don’t have the intelligence (in the military sense of “information”) to speak from.  Therefore, to answer hastily is always to answer un-intelligently.  Unintelligent=foolish=stupid.  Once you’ve said/tweeted/posted/ blogged something stupid------ it follows you forever.

The same people who pressured you to give a hasty answer will crucify you for giving a stupid answer.

If you don’t believe me, ask the University of North Alabama football player who got kicked off the team for a hasty (and racist) tweet posted when the President’s speech pre-empted a football game.

Ask Ambassador Susan Rice, who missed out on the nomination for Secretary of State because of a hastily prepared interview about an attack at an embassy.

Ask the kid who will get suspended today for a fight that started when he told her that he would kick his butt after she told him that she heard that he was scared of him and she just wanted to know if he was really scared and all she did was tell him what he said.

If you don’t know the necessary facts, the only intelligent answer is, “I don’t know------ yet.”

“Better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” --- Abraham Lincoln

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves
To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme@blogspotcom.

If you enjoy this blog, please help support our work in the community. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116

THE BEST BLOG I'VE WRITTEN----- THAT YOU'LL NEVER READ

A few nights ago while I was waiting for my students in the city jail, I wrote a draft for “The Word to the Wise” blog through the book of Proverbs.  It all just flowed out in a rush of scribbling in longhand. Now, I’m not bragging, but this piece was good.  Way better than what you’re reading now.  Eloquent, moving, inspiring. Re-reading the draft made me tear up a little. 

The next morning I started typing and cross-checking scriptures, and I realized something terrible.

My article was Biblically------wrong.  I had taken the scripture somewhere it wasn’t supposed to go.  To justify my points and conclusions I had taken some unjustifiable liberties with the Biblical text.  I had not encouraged sin or denied right doctrine.  But, what I had written was not what the Bible had said.

Now I must remind you that this draft was ------good.  One of the best I’ve ever composed.

I threw it away.

Preachers and theologians tend to be gifted in the use of words.  Therefore, we are accountable to the Giver of our gifts for how we use/ misuse the gifts He’s given.  

It’s easy to get caught in the flow of language and publish a beautiful and inspiring LIE about the gospel.   It’s so easy, and that’s why it happens so often.

Some of the “Christian” posters and quotes shared across the internet promote behavior that is so exactly the opposite of what the Bible says that I expect my screen to burst into flame.    Some of the “prophetic” declarations and decrees posted online must have been delivered by Martians because no angel would dare bring a message so contrary to God’s word. 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  (1 John 4:1)

That’s a message not only to the audience but to the speaker because even a true prophet can speak falsely when he/she gets caught up in the moment.   In the 7^th chapter of 2 Samuel, David gets the idea to build a temple to God.  He asks the prophet Nathan for his counsel.

Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Samuel 7: 3)     

Nathan’s reply was sensible and godly-sounding.  But, Nathan’s reply was WRONG. 

That was not what God had said.

Nathan, a genuine, sincere, called, and anointed man of God had misrepresented God’s Word.   When he checked the Word later that night, God showed Nathan how he’d gone awry.  (2 Samuel 7: 4-16)

What is a prophet, preacher, theologian, writer, blogger, emailer, texter, tweeter, or random Christian copying and pasting online supposed to do when you see from the Word that the thing you’d said is not right with God’ Word?  What can you do when you already put it out there and you don’t wanna look stupid in front of your audience?

You can get over yourself, and you tell the truth.

Nathan marched back to King David’s palace and said, “Umm, David.  About that thing I said that God said about the thing you said you wanted to do for God------- Yeah, I was wrong.”

According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.  (2 Samuel 7: 17)

Sometimes you have to throw a line out of the sermon.  Sometimes you shouldn’t share that cute-sounding quote.  Sometimes you have to throw away a heartfelt composition. 

… let God be true but every man a liar. (Romans 3: 4)

All of us, especially those of us who are called to expound on God’s Word, have to be careful.    We must not let saying what SOUNDS GOOD must take priority over saying what IS RIGHT.

---Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577

Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road

Montgomery, AL 36116

THE BEST BLOG I'VE WRITTEN----- THAT YOU'LL NEVER READ

A few nights ago while I was waiting for my students in the city jail, I wrote a draft for “The Word to the Wise” blog through the book of Proverbs.  It all just flowed out in a rush of scribbling in longhand. Now, I’m not bragging, but this piece was good.  Way better than what you’re reading now.  Eloquent, moving, inspiring. Re-reading the draft made me tear up a little. 

The next morning I started typing and cross-checking scriptures, and I realized something terrible.

My article was Biblically wrong. 

I had taken the scripture somewhere it wasn’t supposed to go.  To justify my points and conclusions I had taken some unjustifiable liberties with the Biblical text.  I didn't encourage sin or deny true doctrine;  but, what I wrote was not what the Bible had said.

Now I must remind you that this draft was gooooood.  One of the best I’ve ever written.

I threw it away.

Preachers and theologians tend to be gifted in the use of words.  So we are especially accountable to the Giver of our gifts for how we use or misuse our words.  

It’s easy to get caught in the flow of language and publish a beautiful and inspiring LIE about the gospel.   It’s so easy, and that’s why it happens so often.

Some of the “Christian” posters and quotes shared across the internet promote behaviors that is so exactly the opposite of what the Bible says that I expect my screen to burst into flame.    Some of the “prophetic” declarations and decrees posted online must have been delivered by Martians because no angel would dare bring a message so contrary to God’s word. 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  (1 John 4:1)

That’s a message not only to the audience but to the speakers because even a true prophet can speak falsely when he/she gets caught up in the moment.  

For example, in the 7^th chapter of 2 Samuel, David got the idea to build a temple to God.  He asked the prophet Nathan for his counsel.

Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Samuel 7: 3)     

Nathan’s reply was sensible and it sounded godly.  But, Nathan’s reply was WRONG. 

That was not what God had said.

Nathan, a genuine, sincere, called, and anointed man of God had misrepresented God’s Word.   When he checked the Word later that night, God showed Nathan how he’d gone wrong.  (2 Samuel 7: 4-16)

What is a prophet, preacher, theologian, writer, blogger, emailer, texter, tweeter, or random Christian copying and pasting online supposed to do when you see from the Word that the thing you’ve said is not right with God’ Word?  What can you do when you've already put it out there and you don’t wanna look stupid in front of your audience?

You can get over yourself, and you tell the truth.

Nathan marched back to King David’s palace and said, “Umm, David.  About that thing I said that God said about the thing you said you wanted to do for God------- Yeah, I was wrong.”

According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.  (2 Samuel 7: 17)

Sometimes you have to throw a line out of the sermon.  Sometimes you have delete that cute quote.  Sometimes you need to throw away a heartfelt composition. 

… let God be true but every man a liar. (Romans 3: 4)

All of us, especially those of us who are called to expound on God’s Word, have to be careful.    We must never let saying what SOUNDS GOOD take priority over saying what IS RIGHT.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a pastor, writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Call me at 334-288-0577
Email me at atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme@blogspotcom.