Baptist City Blog

Get to the Point

Jeremiah 37:17

"Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."

When Zedekiah asked Jeremiah a question, it is interesting how quick and to the point he was with his answer. Jeremiah could have embellished his answer with words to impress the king, but he knew that brevity was the wisest way to answer. Though Jeremiah's brevity could have been taken as shallow by those who considered themselves intellectuals, his brevity showed his wisdom.

It is beneficial for you to get to the point when answering questions. Sometimes there are people who want to drag out an answer to show their intellect, but they are only causing misunderstandings. I often say that there are times when you can say so much that you say nothing at all. Keeping your answers brief will not only benefit you, but it will benefit the listener as well.

First, getting to the point will keep your words from being twisted. Always remember that the more you say the more ammunition you give for your enemies to twist. Brevity doesn't give them much to twist. Brevity will often disappoint those who try to destroy you because you give them nothing to use against you. If you can answer a question with a quick "Yes" or "No," then you would be wise to do so. However, if the answer must go beyond this, then be as direct and to the point as you can so that your answer cannot be twisted.

Second, getting to the point gives clarity to your answer. I like being to the point because when people walk away they clearly know what you want or believe. Parents oftentimes are not brief with their answers to their children, thus their children walk away with questions in their mind about what is wanted. Proverbs 10:19 says, "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." You will see that God is teaching us that brevity is wisdom, for in brevity there is clarity. The clearer you are with your answers, the less chance there is for misunderstanding.

Third, getting to the point is the best way to remember your own answer. What gets many people in trouble is they embellish their answers to the degree that they can't remember what they said. When you get to the point with your answers, you will find that you have a better chance of remembering them. The biggest reason brevity helps you remember is because brevity usually means you are absolute in your thought process about what your answer was. In other words, you know what you believe about what you answered. Normally, when someone uses a lot of words to give an answer, they are searching themselves for the answer. When you know what you believe about a question given to you, then you will be more likely to have a brief answer. Brief answers are more easily remembered by you and those who asked the question.

Jeremiah was wise by getting to the point with his answer to Zedekiah; likewise, you would be wise to get to the point when answering questions. Whether it be in the home, church, or work place, getting to the point with your answers will help solve most misunderstandings.