30 DAYS TO TAMING YOUR TONGUE DAY 28

DAY 28 THE LOQUACIOUS TONGUE

Have you ever talked to someone who seemed to have diarrhea of the mouth?

On and on they go, from one topic to another.  This issue or problem is known as “loquaciousness”. Just a big word for “motor mouth”.  While women have generally been accused for this use of the tongue, men can be just as guilty.

Excessive talking tends to not glorify God. The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians to “study to be quiet”1 THESSALONIANS 4:11 To ‘study’ implies a striving or intense effort.

A person of few words usually commands more attention when they speak. Perhaps this is so because others assume their words have been chosen carefully after much though and deliberations, unlike the words of those who CONSTANTLY spill them out from an apparently unlimited supply source.

If in the midst of your conversation you find yourself veering down the path of loquaciousness, try these quick detours:

A.  Simply stop talking and ask the other person an open-ended question that would cause them to respond with more than a simple yes or no.

B.  Make the talking count. Share an interesting news story you’ve hears or an insight God has given you on a Scripture.

READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

1 THESSALONIANS 4:11  PROVERBS 10:19

PROVERBS 17:27      ECCLESIATES 5:2

1)              According to 1 Peter 3:5, women should adorn themselves with a ‘meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God a great price’ Why do you think a quiet spirit is so valuable.

2)             Excessive talking can have a negative impact on your career and social standing. For sure it can have a detrimental spiritual impact, according to Proverbs 10:19. By exercising a little objectivity, you can judge for yourself whether you talk too much. Consider these few questions:

A.  Would the people in your circle of interaction classify you as a talker or a listener?

B.  In conversations with others, do you talk for more than one to two minutes at the time?

C.  Do you notice signs of loss of interest in what you are saying? (people wandering off, eyes darting to the other side of the room, tapping fingers on the table/desk, etc)

D. Are you likely to provide lots of details in your stories?

E. Do you forget to draw others into your conversation and assume they like hearing you talk?

If you answered yes to at least three of these questions, you might consider developing a new strategy for your interactions.