Talk

Too Much Talk

Ecclesiastes 5:3

"For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words."

One of the things I have noticed throughout my years of traveling in evangelism is that there are many people in churches who can talk a good talk, but they have no actions to back up what they say. All the talk in the world doesn't do anyone any good. You can be the best talker, but talk is cheap. Give me the person who is productive and rarely talks over the person who talks a lot but never produces.

In the verse above, God talks about the "multitude of business" and the "multitude of words." Good comes from one, but bad is produced by the other. One produces dreams, while the other produces sin. Three times in the Scriptures we find that God uses the phrase, "multitude of words."

Proverbs 10:19 says, "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." You will notice that sin is present when a person talks too much. In other words, a person who talks too much will begin to gossip. Rarely do you find someone who likes to talk whose words don't lead to gossip. Christian, you must be careful about allowing yourself to be caught up in the world of gossip. When people talk too much, they tend to talk about people instead of ideas. Weak people will talk about people. Weak people love to tell others about the weaknesses of others. It is better to refrain yourself from talking than to get caught up in the world of gossip.

Ecclesiastes 5:3 says, "...a fool's voice is known by multitude of words." Years ago I was a youth pastor for a church out West. One of the things I noticed about young people is that there are many young people who feel like they must say something. Normally, when you get teenagers around each other, they will talk till they are blue in the face. One of the results of talking too much is their talk leads to foolishness. Let me make this plain, God is simply teaching that you don't always have to give your opinion. When you have to show your opinion about everything, you will find that your foolishness will begin to show. Sometimes, the best way to show you are wise is to simply keep your mouth shut. You don't always have to say something.

Ecclesiastes 5:7 says, "For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities:..." Vanity is the third result of talking too much. In other words, you will find that too much talk leads to someone becoming conceited. I have watched people who talk so much that they become legends in their own mind. They always have to talk about themselves. They always have to tell everybody what they have done. Christian, people are not as interested in you as you may think they are. I know this is blunt, but too many times we are so conceited that we think we need to tell everyone how great we are. They may be polite and let you talk, but you are hurting yourself by talking too much about yourself.

Too much talk will never lead to good. My parents used to tell me that God gave us two ears and one mouth because He wants us to listen twice as much as we talk. I don't know if that is true, but I do know there is wisdom in that statement. Instead of being someone who talks a lot, be a person who is busy about business. If you will be busy in the "multitude of business," then you will find that you won't have enough time to talk. The best way to keep from talking too much is to work. Working will keep you out of trouble and will help you to talk less. Determine to be a person who works more than they talk. You will find if you will be that type of person, then you will eventually be considered someone who is wise.

Vent

Do You Need to Vent?

Job 32:19

"Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles."

When I was young, every once in awhile I would walk through the kitchen while my mother was cooking and I saw that she left the lid on a pot cracked open. One day I asked my mother why she did this. She said that the air inside the pan needed a place to vent so that it wouldn't boil over. Once in awhile if my mother didn't keep a close eye on the pan, I would see the contents inside boil over because their was not enough air to vent. They say the same has to be done when fermenting wine. They say that a hole must be kept in the barrel so that the air could vent to keep the barrel from exploding.

A person asked me, "Have you ever come to a point when you felt like you were going to explode." Truthfully, I believe everyone comes to that point sometime in their life. There comes a point when you can only take so much, and if you don't have a way to let it out, you end up exploding. The danger about an explosion is that there is always a fallout after the explosion. An explosion always causes casualties. There must be a way to vent so that you don't have an explosion. Let me give you some suggestions when you need to vent.

First, let me remind you that exploding will hurt your testimony. Proverbs 16:32 says, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." God commands you to rule your own spirit. The reason you need to rule your own spirit is because you will hurt your name if you explode. I have watched good people ruin their testimony because they exploded. Christian, you have worked too hard to have a good testimony, don't let your frustration boil over to the point where you explode. After your explosion it may take months, and even years, to repair the damage done to your testimony.

Second, exploding will hurt others. I wonder how many innocent people have been hurt because someone exploded and spewed a bunch of words that they really didn't mean. I wonder how many people have been physically abused because of someone who exploded and didn't control their rage. You must be in control of yourself to keep from exploding. Being "slow to anger" will only happen if you have a way to vent.

Third, the best way to vent is to pour your heartaches and frustrations out to God. Let me remind you that 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." Christian, God really wants you to vent to Him. He doesn't mind when you get alone and vent your frustrations to Him. There have been many times in my life when I would take a walk and unload my frustrations on God. Venting to God kept me from exploding and hurting my testimony and others. God is big enough to handle your frustrations, so vent to Him.

You will face times in your life when you will need to vent. In those times I would advise to take a walk and pour your heart and frustrations out on God. Everybody needs a way to vent and someone to whom they can vent. God is that person. Take advantage of a God Who is willing to let you vent to Him.

Esther

It's Not About Esther

Esther 10:2

"And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?"

I have a confession to make. I have read the Book of Esther well over one hundred times, and I have always thought that the Book of Esther was about Esther. However, when you come to the final chapter, the conclusion of the whole book, you see that the Book of Esther is not about Esther, it's about Mordecai. Yes, Esther seems to be the main character, but God concludes the book by saying, "And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai,..." Notice, Esther is not mentioned one time in this last chapter.

God wants you to notice Mordecai more than he wants you to notice Esther. Though there are many principles we can learn from this lady, the main character from whom we are to learn is the one who worked in the background. It was not the one who was in front of everyone who was the hero, but it was the one who, behind the scenes, saved the people of God from destruction.

One of the great attributes of Mordecai is that he was a patriot for his people and God. When no one else would stand against the wicked Haman, Mordecai put his life on the line and saved Israel. Not only did he put his life on the line, but he motivated Esther to put her life on the line for the sake of the people of God. Mordecai was a true patriot! His heroism should never be overlooked when you reading the Book of Esther.

As I examine the life of Mordecai, it compels me to ask the question, where are the patriots of our day? Where are the Mordecai's who will motivate their leaders to stand? Where are the Shadrach's, Meshach's and Abednego's who are willing to be thrown into the fire for the sake of Christ? Where are the Daniel's who will go into the lion's den for the sake of prayer? Where are the David's who will stand against the giants? Where are the Jonathan's who will go against the heathen's army while everyone else sits idly by and watches the enemy destroy their cause? Where are the Gideon's who will stand against all odds and fight the liberals whose armies look like the sand of the sea? I ask, where are the patriots of our day?

Christian, you don't have to be in the limelight to stand for truth. You don't have to have position to be the one who stands. You don't have to be a part of the "in group" to make a difference for the sake of Christ. You don't have to have the bully pulpit to turn a nation around for Christ. It only takes the spark of a patriot who will risk life and well being for the cause of truth to catch fire.

Let me ask you, will you be the Mordecai of your workplace, church or nation? Christian, it starts with one standing for truth for others to begin to stand. It is never easy being the first one to stand, but if you will stand, your stand will motivate others to stand. You may think that you have no influence, but let me remind you that most patriots never had influence before they stood. It was their stance that gave them the influence. Stop waiting for someone else to stand for truth and be the Mordecai of your world and stand for truth so that the cause of Christ may be saved. Don't wait for someone else, stand up!

Get your hands dirty

Get Your Hands Dirty

Nehemiah 3:16

"After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty."

One of the greatest ways to motivate followers to do something is for leaders to jump in and get their hands dirty by working with them. One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is that they forget what it was like to be in the trenches getting their hands dirty with the followers. Many leaders have lost good followers due to the fact that they would never get their hands dirty.

One thing that was pointed out in the Book of Nehemiah was that the leaders would not work. They wanted to stand around commanding the followers to work while they sat in their offices and did nothing. That is not the purpose of leadership. Yet, in the verse above, Nehemiah the son of Azbuk understood the importance of getting his hands dirty. You will notice that he helped in repairing the walls, even though many of the other leaders would not get their hands dirty.

You must always remember that the purpose of leadership is not to get out of work, but its purpose is to serve those whom you lead. Just because you have acquired position does not mean that you will never have to get your hands dirty again. In fact, you would be wise to regularly get among the people and let them see you get your hands dirty. There are several benefits of getting your hands dirty.

First, you show your followers that you are not too good to work. When the followers see the boss getting his hands dirty, they will gain greater respect for him or her. One of the complaints of followers is that leadership will not do what they tell others to do. The greatest way to squelch that is to get out with the followers and work with them. By the way, don't just pick the easier and cleaner jobs, but be willing to work in the dirtiest jobs. This is one of the ways to gain the respect of your followers.

Second, you learn things that need to be corrected. When you sit behind the desk, you lose touch with what is really going on with the workers. When you get your hands dirty, you find out there are some things that might need to be changed. You may find some ways to streamline the work process and save the company money. You may also be able to show the workers a better way to do things. You will never know what needs to be corrected until you get your hands dirty.

Third, you train future leaders the importance of leadership getting their hands dirty. Too many people have a false impression of true leadership. Many think that a leadership position means they will never have to get their hands dirty again. When you work and get your hands dirty, you show future leaders what it takes to boost morale and learn of mistakes that need to be corrected.

Whatever your position of leadership is, be sure that you regularly get your hands dirty. Pastors need to get out of their office's and work with their people. Business leaders need to get among their workers by getting their hands dirty. Parents need to get their hands dirty and work with their children. You will find that getting your hands dirty is of great benefit to both leadership and followship. Don't ever think you are too good to get your hands dirty. Don't be a leader who only barks out orders, but be a leader who gets among the people and gets their hands dirty.

What God Expects

What God Expects From You

Ezra 2:69

"They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments."

One of the great attributes of God is that He does not expect more from us than what we can give. God understands our weaknesses. God understands that everybody can't give what somebody else can; therefore, He desires that you give to the best of your ability.

When Ezra described how the people gave to the treasury, he said that they "gave after their ability." You will notice that these people were not chided for not giving as someone else gave; rather, they were commended for giving to their ability. They didn't give less than they could give, and they were not expected to give more than they could give. God was simply pleased that they gave according to their ability.

When I played sports in high school, each player on the team had their strengths and weakness. As a team, if every player played to their ability, then we would give ourselves the best chance to win. However, if one player did not play to their ability, then that tremendously lessened our chance of winning. In order to win, it was necessary for every teammate to give their full effort.

Christian, God never expects more of you than what you can do. God understands how much you can give, and He expects you to give according to your ability. What you can give may not be as much as someone else can give, but if you will give according to your ability, then you will strengthen the cause of Christ. Anything less than your best is unacceptable.

It is important in a church that every member give according to their ability. Let me make this clear, though this verse is talking about financial giving, I am talking about giving of your effort. One of the reasons churches lack today is because many members do not give their best effort. You have a few members who give their best effort, but if a church is going to thrive every member must give to their ability. In every church you have elderly, middle-aged, and young people. Each age group has a different energy level. Yet, if each age group would give of their best, then the church would thrive. God does not expect more from you than you can give, but He does expect you to give to your ability.

Furthermore, parents need to be careful about expecting more from their children than what they can give. I am for you pushing your children to do more, but don't expect more from them than what they can give. One mistake many parents make is comparing one child to another. This is not fair, for no two children are alike, and neither do they have the same capabilities. What you should demand from your children is that they do according to their ability. Whether it is in their schoolwork or effort towards a project, only expect from them to give according to their ability.

Finally, every leader should only expect their followers to give according to their ability. Part of the responsibility of a leader is to know the ability of each follower, and then bring out of their followers the best. As a leader, only demand that your followers do their best. They may or may not succeed, but the standard is effort and not success. If everyone gives their effort to the best of their ability, then you give yourself the best chance to succeed.

All God expects from you is for you to give to your ability. Let me ask you, are you giving the best in every area? It doesn't matter if you are giving more than someone else, it only matters if you give according to your ability. Make your standard of living one that you give according to your ability. This will give you the best chance to succeed in every area of life.

Is it not I?

Is It Not I?

1 Chronicles 21:17

"And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued."

One of the most important parts of leadership is learning to take responsibility when wrong happens. God saw Israel had sinned, and because of their sin He was going to judge them. We learn that Satan provoked David to number Israel which was against the Word of God. This action by David must have been the final act that moved God to judge Israel. However, when it came time to get right with God so that His judgment would end, David took the whole responsibility for what happened. You will notice that David said, "Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed;..." David could have blamed it on everyone else, but he knew that part of leadership is taking responsibility for wrong when it occurs.

One of the mistakes of leadership today is the blaming of others for what happens. In the political world, you see the president and political leaders blaming the other party or previous leaders for the condition of the country. In churches, I often see preachers who want to blame people for their sin. This only leads to the detriment of the individuals who have sinned. Sin will not be dealt with as long as leaders point their fingers at others instead of taking personal responsibility for what they've done. If leaders would take personal responsibility, then you would find followers would take personal responsibility as well.

You will notice that David did not blame the messenger who told him that he had sinned; rather, he took the personal responsibility for his own actions. Let me ask you, since when is the messenger who points out the sin the bad person? They did nothing wrong. They only did what they were supposed to do. Christian, you can blame the messenger who pointed out the sin as the problem, but you are not dealing with the real problem. The real problem that must be dealt with is sin. Pointing at others only deflects the attention away from the real problem; thus, the problem is never dealt with. You must not fall into the trap of blaming the messenger.

Furthermore, you will notice that David did not give any excuse for his actions. Again, as long as you give excuses for why you did wrong, you will never deal with the issue at hand. Leaders must be careful about trying to excuse away their wrong. You will never solve your problems if you use excuses for wrong.

The answer for correcting problems is to say what David said, "Is it not I..." This is a real need for leadership today. Everything rises and falls at the feet of leadership. So, if you want everyone to get right, then you need to take responsibility for what you have done. It is you who chose to do wrong. It is you who made the bad decision. It is you who sinned, and nobody made you do it. The core of a great leader will not blame anyone else for what happened, but they will take full responsibility for their own actions.

Do you find yourself trying to deflect wrong away from you and place it on others? You will never truly solve your problems until you say, "Is it not I..." Stop blaming your children, spouse, friends, circumstances or anyone else, but take the blame for what you've done and correct your actions. It is when you say, "Is it not I..." that you will find God will begin to turn his judgment into mercy. Always look to blame yourself as your first reaction when wrong happens, for that is what will start the process of correcting the problem.