When Words Are Many...

The Psalmist had experienced some difficulty in his life, and desired to know the rest of God in the midst of his travail.   Here are his words in Psalm 116:
7 Return to your rest, O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 8 For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living. 10 I believed, therefore I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted." 11 I said in my haste, "All men are liars."  
Have you ever said or done something that you wish you could take back - of course you have, I think we all have...and hurtful or careless words or deeds can certainly bring pain to others, as well as ourselves, when we face the consequences of what we've done.   Our souls cry out for rest, to make things right - and in those times, it's important that we lean on God, confess our sin to Him and ask for forgiveness from those we've offended - we can't erase our hasty actions, but we can release God's power when we seek to make things right.

Proverbs 10:19:
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. 20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. 21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom.

There's been a lot of discussion and speculation about the highly offensive comments of Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri, who is contending for a critical seat in the U.S. Senate - despite the fact that a number of conservative and Republican leaders were calling for him to step aside after a controversial comment over the weekend, he has said that he will remain a candidate.  And, the polling data shows that he has a point - one point - the size of his lead over vulnerable incumbent Claire McCaskill.

I have thought a lot about his words and the fallout, and I can't really get a grasp on what he was trying to say, and I really do see the arguments on both sides of the issue of whether or not he should withdraw from the race.  Akin seems to have few friends in the leadership of either party these days.   But, I appreciated what Kirk Cameron had to say on the Today show yesterday:  "Clearly, this is a man who is advocating the sanctity of life through and through. He said he misspoke and he apologized for it. I like to evaluate people based on their entire life, their entire career, all they stand for. He loves his wife, he's got six children. I believe he's a good man. He's now in a very, very difficult spot."

I'm like Kirk - I wouldn't want to be Mr. Akin's political strategist, either.   But, there are some applications for our own lives that this series of events can teach us.

For one thing, when you say the wrong thing, apologize - ask for forgiveness.   That's what Akin did, and it remains to be seen whether or not a significant amount of Missouri voters will.  But, he got out in front of the issue.   And, in order to apologize effectively, we have to recognize when we have said or done the wrong thing.    If we are sloppy saints and are not sensitive to our own words or actions, or if we're not seeing our actions through the eyes of others, then we run the risk of offending people and breaking down relationships without even knowing it.

And, make sure you are known by what you stand for.   Jesus said, "by your fruits you shall know them".   Apparently, Congressman Akin has devoted decades of his life to being a pro-life champion.   He has a reputation of advocating the sanctity of human life, opposing abortion, as well as being a devoted family man.

Finally, realize the power of your words and how sometimes a hastily spoken word or a misspoken phrase or word can serve to negate what you have worked hard to build.   Proverbs reminds us that "where words are many, sin is not absent".    Restraint is a virtue that can be perfected through reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit.