"Think before you speak..." Sounds like the kind of wisdom your mother might offer doesn't it? Life is full of simple axioms that communicate profound wisdom. The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes offers these words in the context of worship. "Think before you speak and be careful what you say to God." In the spirit of full disclosure, it should be noted that the writer of Ecclesiastes was not known for his good humor or hopeful outlook. He saw foolishness in much of life, declaring on more than one occasion that life "is useless." But before you write him off as an overbearing pessimist, remember too that he spoke of the significance of work, good food, and important relationships. (Perhaps he was Baptist.)
In the study of Ecclesiastes last fall in our Day/Night series, we were tempted to believe that the writer had multiple personalities...pessimistic one moment, encouraging the next, and then in the same breath, pessimistic again. His inconsistency disturbs us, and yet, it is probably closer to the way we live than we might want to admit. We experience majestic peaks followed by deep valleys which challenge our faith, wear us down, and certainly color our perspective.
In worship, however, we seek to tune out the noise of the everyday and focus attention on the One who does not change like the fickle winds of human emotion.
"God is in heaven, and you are on the earth, so say only a few words to God." Measuring words here is not an exercise in brevity for brevity's sake. This is a reminder of the holiness of God and the weakness of human-kind. God is not threatened nor blessed by my words alone. Humility of heart and obedience in action mark the one who brings blessing to God. I should think before I speak and be careful what I say to God, not because God's arbitrary response might condemn me, but because God is worthy of praise that is thoughtful, expressed in words and actions that are genuine. I cannot fool God...neither can you.
And so, particularly in these days of Lent, let us think before we speak and be careful what we say to God. Perhaps the words of the Psalmist are a fitting close here..."May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."
Jim Abernathy
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