Consider them carefully

"There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18

Immediately upon crossing the finish line of Sunday's Mansfield Park Marathon, Elizabeth Bennett, 26, began voicing her complaints. "Come on!" she said loudly to those around her as she checked her smartwatch. "Twenty-six point seven?" She then quickly shared the GPS data of her run on Facebook and posted, "LONG!! I will never run this garbage race again. They can't even get the distance right!" Hmmm... maybe she should have checked her GPS data before going on a public rant? Her route appears to show her deviating from the course to, among other things, take advantage of a swing set, greet a friendly dog, hug her friends, and double back at one point to retrieve a hat she'd dropped (which added the extra mileage). That's one runner who should have given more thought to her words, don't you think? 

And when it comes to speaking without careful consideration of the possible consequences or ramifications of our words, the Bible tells us that words that are spoken rashly are "like the thrusts of a sword.” In other words, they can cause great injury to another person’s feelings or, as in this case, an organization's reputation. But on the contrary, "the tongue of the wise brings healing." Can you imagine how different the outcome would have been had Bennett wisely and graciously inquired why the course went long and then waited for the answer before speaking? She most assuredly would not be having to eat her words today. 

So may you and I be careful and considerate before choosing our words-ever mindful of the power they have. And may we then choose them so wisely and calculatingly that we never have to go back and apologize for being “one who speaks rashly". 

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word that clearly tells us that there is power in our words. May we, as Christians, avoid speaking rashly to others or about others so that we would be set apart and be an example to others of what it means to show kindness, consideration and compassion at all times. Even when, and especially when, we feel slighted or wronged. 

Happy Running!!!

Words - Hawk Nelson

https://youtu.be/anVweXDcxhA

https://dumbrunner.com/news-blog/2017/10/27/course-was-long-complains-marathoner-whose-own-serpentine-path-along-route-looked-like-something-out-of-family-circus