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“Take-Off Talk”
By Susanne Scheppmann
Key
Verse:
When words are many, sin
is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. (Proverbs 10:19 NIV)
Devotion:
Sometimes
my husband doesn’t like traveling with me. Why? Because whether traveling by
car or plane he becomes my captive audience. He’s strapped into a seat with his
ear lodged close to my mouth. He hears my thoughts and philosophies of life. He
listens to my complaints, and yes, even whining. He can’t escape.
This
is especially true when we fly somewhere. I usually have the window seat. He
gets squished in the middle. Usually before we take off, I launch into my
monologue. His eyes begin to glaze over. He nods mutely. My husband resolutely
resigns himself to the “take-off talk.” I admit I am not proud of this. Every
time we travel, I tell myself not to hold a one-sided conversation. Yet once
the seat belt clicks, words begin to leak out.
Unfortunately,
this phenomenon can happen in many situations by any of us. We corner someone
and begin to blab. It may be a one-sided phone call with a girlfriend who
listens to our lengthy story. It may be rant at our children who tune us out.
These one-sided conversations seemingly spring out of nowhere. So what is the
cause?
Here’s
my personal opinion. After analyzing my own irrational conversations, I realize
they occur because of pent-up emotions. My feelings need to vent somewhere with
someone. Sadly, as these emotions tend to spew out like a roiling volcano I
usually say something I regret. Our key verse reveals, “When words are many,
sin is not absent.” It’s true.” When I have a take-off talk I usually have some
type of sinful words—gossip, anger, or unkindness.
So
what is the best way to avoid the one-way conversation? First, I believe prayer
is the safest way to prevent a reservoir of feelings to overflow. It allows us
to vent in a safe place—the arms of God. We can expel our feelings to God, not
on the people we care about the most. This helps to keep the stream of emotions
to a manageable level when we speaking with others.
Next
instead of launching into a diatribe of dialogue, ask a question. Allow the
captive audience to speak. Engage them in conversation about their personal
hopes and dreams. Listen with complete attention to what they are saying and
avoid responding with your own stories. Display empathy and genuine concern.
Finally,
if catch yourself rambling about yourself, your life, and your problems. Stop
and apologize for monopolizing the conversation. I guarantee that apologizing
for your rude behavior will help deter you from continuing in one-sided
monologues. It only takes a few sincere apologies to wipe out the tendency to
babble about ourselves.
Let’s
avoid the offensive monopolization of conversation. Let’s practice keep our
words to a minimum. Let’s allow God to deal with our abundance of emotions.
Let’s show our friends and families that we are learning wisdom by not using
too many words. Let’s land the takeoff talk altogether.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, teach me to release my pent-up emotions
to you in prayer. Give me the ability to restrain my tongue. Help me to use my
tongue in knowledge and not to gush folly, I ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application
steps:
Memorize our key verse Proverbs10:19. Consider to
who is most likely to be the recipient of your long-winded words. Think through
and prepare questions to ask to open up a conversation that will allow both of
you to participate in a fulfilling conversation.
Reflections:
Do I talk too much? Does my mouth gush with folly?
What are my reasons for a monotonous monologue?
Who is most likely on the receiving end of a
“take-off talk?”
Power
verses:
Proverbs 15:2, “The tongue of the wise commends
knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” (NIV)
Psalms 37:30, “The mouth of the righteous man
utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.” (NIV)
Psalms 49:3, “My mouth will speak words of
wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.” (NIV)
James 1:26, “If anyone considers himself
religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself
and his religion is worthless.” (NIV)
© 2010 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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