Unguarded moments and being dismissive of forethought can reveal many inner feelings and sentiments. In some instances, it would be an experience similar to riding with a square wheel, namely, anything but smooth and comfortable. An old and pithy reminder was: “Always remember to engage your brain before you operate your mouth.” The picture is drawn from older model cars that had a manual transmission and a clutch to engage the gears. If one did not depress the clutch, he would either strip the gears or remain motionless. If the clutch was released too quickly, the vehicle would hop (like a rabbit) rather than roll smoothly. This is the same truism with rhetoric. Another adage states: “Think before you speak!” There are illustrations where these principles seem to have been ignored and/or avoided - - -
An interesting entertainment news headline yesterday stated: “JIMMY KIMMEL DEMOLISHES ABC’S UPFRONTS…” The report goes on to say: At Tuesday afternoon’s upfront presentation in New York, Mr. Kimmel, the host of ABC’s late night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” delivered a withering, blistering monologue that took direct aim at ABC, its potential advertisers and his NBC late-night rival, Jay Leno… “Everything you’re going to hear this week is” nonsense. “Let’s get real here…These new fall shows? We’re going to cancel about 90 percent of them. Maybe more.” If ABC is so confident in its new fall shows, he asked, why is it announcing them at the same time it announces the midseason shows that will replace those fall shows? To the ABC advertisers…“Every year we lie to you and every year you come back for more. You don’t need an Upfront…“I think all our shows are going to work this year. I really do.” He paused. “I don’t, really. ”Before departing the stage, he said: The important thing to remember is: who cares, it’s not your money.”
In another article headlined, “REID JOINS BIDEN, PELOSI IN MISSTATEMENTS”, we read: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid became the latest Democrat to stray into rhetorical trouble Tuesday, botching statements on three subjects in one news conference…about… Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass; Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W. VA; and “Reid also mangled his party's position on the congressional news of the day, that Senate Democrats would join their House counterparts in withholding the money President Barack Obama needs to close the Guantanamo Bay prison until Obama comes up with a plan for relocating its prisoners…Reid went further…"We will never allow terrorists to be released into the United States…Part of what we don't want is them be put in prisons in the United States…We don't want them around the United States." Is this candor, rancor, or stupidity?
Consider these things with me - - - A very succinct statement of an opportunity and obligation for a wise person is stated in COLOSSIANS 4:5-6, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Gracious and Tasteful Speech is so important and vital. There is too much that comes across as crude, profane, belligerent, obnoxious and humorless. What is need is serious and constructive speech – not political rhetoric or other meaningless platitudes. There is a good rule given in JAMES 1:19-22, “Know this…let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” There is one last observation on this subject in MATTHEW 12:34-37 where Jesus observes: “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Words have meanings, and meanings convey thoughts and inner feelings. Let us set a personal goal that our words will always be Gracious, Tasteful, and Effective as we live out and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
An interesting entertainment news headline yesterday stated: “JIMMY KIMMEL DEMOLISHES ABC’S UPFRONTS…” The report goes on to say: At Tuesday afternoon’s upfront presentation in New York, Mr. Kimmel, the host of ABC’s late night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” delivered a withering, blistering monologue that took direct aim at ABC, its potential advertisers and his NBC late-night rival, Jay Leno… “Everything you’re going to hear this week is” nonsense. “Let’s get real here…These new fall shows? We’re going to cancel about 90 percent of them. Maybe more.” If ABC is so confident in its new fall shows, he asked, why is it announcing them at the same time it announces the midseason shows that will replace those fall shows? To the ABC advertisers…“Every year we lie to you and every year you come back for more. You don’t need an Upfront…“I think all our shows are going to work this year. I really do.” He paused. “I don’t, really. ”Before departing the stage, he said: The important thing to remember is: who cares, it’s not your money.”
In another article headlined, “REID JOINS BIDEN, PELOSI IN MISSTATEMENTS”, we read: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid became the latest Democrat to stray into rhetorical trouble Tuesday, botching statements on three subjects in one news conference…about… Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass; Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W. VA; and “Reid also mangled his party's position on the congressional news of the day, that Senate Democrats would join their House counterparts in withholding the money President Barack Obama needs to close the Guantanamo Bay prison until Obama comes up with a plan for relocating its prisoners…Reid went further…"We will never allow terrorists to be released into the United States…Part of what we don't want is them be put in prisons in the United States…We don't want them around the United States." Is this candor, rancor, or stupidity?
Consider these things with me - - - A very succinct statement of an opportunity and obligation for a wise person is stated in COLOSSIANS 4:5-6, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Gracious and Tasteful Speech is so important and vital. There is too much that comes across as crude, profane, belligerent, obnoxious and humorless. What is need is serious and constructive speech – not political rhetoric or other meaningless platitudes. There is a good rule given in JAMES 1:19-22, “Know this…let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” There is one last observation on this subject in MATTHEW 12:34-37 where Jesus observes: “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Words have meanings, and meanings convey thoughts and inner feelings. Let us set a personal goal that our words will always be Gracious, Tasteful, and Effective as we live out and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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