I was reflecting in my morning reading on three verses from Proverbs 18:
A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.
He who answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him.
The first one to plead his cause seems right,
Until his neighbor comes and examines him.
Many people right now are slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to become angry. The rush to judgment in many cases is breath-taking, and as believers, we should know and remember that we are not immune. It is easy to make a quick judgment based on an initial, often incomplete presentation of facts. It is only later that we may learn some of those “facts” may not have been factual at all but hasty and prejudiced misinterpretations of data. In case you’re wondering which news story I am referring to, I’m not. There are plenty of stories in the news right now that might fit, but this morning I was wondering how often I have been guilty of expressing my own heart and opinions rather than seeking understanding, responding to a matter before I really understand it to my folly and shame, and taking sides with an accuser before hearing the defense of the accused. Allegations of wrongdoing are so common given the pervasiveness of social media that we are constantly bombarded with situations where we are expected to make a judgment very quickly based on what purports to be complete but may be very partial and distorted information. These proverbs need to be written on our hearts in bright letters and permanent ink. They are important to remember and apply not only when scrolling through social media feeds and reading blogs but also listening to the news, hearing reports from friends, reading books, evaluating theological arguments, and interacting with our spouse and children. They emphasize the priority of listening and thoroughly understanding before making a rash judgment or offering an uninformed opinion. I cannot imagine how many hundreds (thousands?) of times I have neglected these principles of wisdom, perhaps often without even realizing it. But reading Proverbs each month is a good reminder of them. May the Lord make us doers of the word, and not hearers only. --JME
