Don’t Engage!

“Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.”
Proverbs 26:20 CSB

Have you ever been around one of those people who only seems to be happy if they are arguing, fighting or talking about someone? It doesn’t seem to matter what you are talking about, they have the ability to turn it into a debate or a slander session. Maybe they see it as a skill, or maybe it is how they get fulfillment in life, being able to out-argue someone or make themselves look better than others. I am not sure all of the motivation behind the action, but I know that it tends to do more harm than good. I know that it doesn’t lead to healthy relationships or a productive work environment.
The verse we started with today gives us the best way handle someone who fits the category we have been describing. It is such a simple way to handle the person and yet very difficult to execute; let me explain what I mean. The verse gives us the advice of not adding to what the person is talking about. Without more words, there is no fuel to keep the conversation going. Sounds easy, right? But here is the difficulty, we all like to give our opinion. This desire leads us to try to explain ourselves, so others see us the way we want them to see us. The further we go trying to explain, often the more fuel we are adding to the conversation. We are better off to just listen and simply not respond. Now, you may be thinking, “What if I am misunderstood?” or “What if they think I agree?” We are far better off to be misunderstood than to take part in endless gossip and argumentative debates. Better to have people guessing what you think than to engage in gossip that leads to hurt and unhealthy relationships. This thought reminds me of a verse we talked about earlier in Proverbs, “Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent — discerning, when he seals his lips.” Proverbs 17:28 CSB

Hopefully we all can be wise in our conversations today!

-Pastor Tim