I like to talk. I love to be heard, to share my thoughts, to voice my opinions, to show I have intelligence, wit, humor, insight. All of that. I have always felt this need to share, to teach, to lead, to give direction. It comes naturally to me. In some ways, I know that talking (“communicating” for those of you wanting the fancier word) is a part of my giftings to be used for kingdom purposes. Yes. It seems I’ve just deemed talking as a gifting of the Holy Spirit. You’re welcome. 😉
No, seriously. I do believe that my love for words, my naturally enjoying being out front and having an extroverted personality all play into how God gifted me to work in His kingdom. There. That’s the spiritual version of what I said in the previous paragraph. You’re welcome. Again. 😉
Still, I really like to talk. And sometimes, my talking gets in the way of really listening. Big time. As I grow older ::insert a big ol’ MEH here:: I find myself re-evaluating how I do life. I find myself taking the time to pour over how I manage my day-to-day life and go through it with a fine-toothed comb. Why? I want to take stock in how I do things, how I say things, how I respond to things.
It seems the older I get, the more urgently I feel this need to gather up all the parts of me and shorten the reins – get a tighter grip – to manage and keep me under control and in submission to what He wants in my life.
- I want to drip with wisdom and insight and understanding.
- I want to listen more than I talk.
- I want to HEAR and not just be quiet only.
You know, that Solomon was a pretty wise fellow. He seemed to know what wisdom was all about. I bet he was a listener more than a talker. He always had something to say, but he knew when to say it and when to listen.
I wanna do that.
So lately I’ve been systematically reading through Proverbs and intentionally watching how I handle conversations, conflict, every-day chatting, etc. Oh, I know that may sound really silly to some but I think there’s something to be said about listening more and talking less. I think when that happens, our words carry a lot more weight.
Like Steven Curtis Chapman sang so many years ago, it still rings true today:
If we walk with the wise, we will grow wise. If we walk in the light, then our paths will be bright. There’s someone who’s already been where we must go. And in the light of what they’ve learned we find, that we will grow wise, if we walk with the wise.
I want to walk with the wise. Don’t you?
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Mary is an active member of New Day Community Church – where she serves on staff as a Pastoral Assistant and Director of Events & Communication. When she’s not working, Mary enjoys reading, blogging and spending time with her husband and two children. And coffee. She really loves coffee. You can also read more from her on her personal site: http://maryhess.com