Too many times you are talking to someone, and before you know it, you make a fool of yourself. Think for a minute how that all came about. The conversation was going great. There was a transfer of ideas from one to the other. You let your guard down, and you said something foolish. How did it happen? You spoke before you thought about what you wanted to say.
“Diplomacy is thinking twice, before saying nothing” (Author Unknown). This helps as you talk to others. Yes, there is a need to think twice. Let those next words, out of your mouth, be processed through your cranium before words are uttered. The result of not thinking before speaking, is the fact that the words you speak, could very well be, absolutely nothing. Without thinking before speaking, foolish words seem to appear.
A good place to start, to keep from making yourself look foolish, is to add a simple prayer to your daily devotional time. David, as a shepherd, knew all too well the importance of good speech. He says it this way, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14, NKJV). Notice, to keep from making a fool of yourself, requires good speech both from the words you say and the words you think about. Keeping both in check is essential. This is accomplished, not in your own ability, but in gaining strength from Christ.
To avoid being a fool starts with right words. Having the right words comes from heavenly guidance, not your own knowledge. So, ask Christ beforehand to give you the right words to say. Then, think before you speak. In fact, a good rule is to think twice before you speak. Do so today!
