The mouth speaks what the heart is full of

Have you ever been in a meeting and felt that you need to speak up, not necessarily because you have anything to add, but because everybody has already spoken, so you need to speak up too?

It used to be that I was quite happy to sit quietly in a corner, and just happily digest what everyone else is saying. 

But over the years, one realises that speaking up can be important. We have a responsibility to others to point out when things are not right, or to support someone whose cause important. Speaking up is also a useful way to get due credit for the work done, not just by yourself, but also the team you represent.

But there is definitely such a thing as unhelpful speaking up too. 

Unhelpful speaking up takes place when we just like the sound of our own voices, and want to emphasise our own importance to the group. 

It takes place when we say something just to get "participation points" rather than actually add anything useful. 

It takes place when we are criticised or overlooked, and we feel the urge to strike back or blow our trumpet.

I spent this past week in a sort of academic setting with professors and industry leaders, and as is often the case, some voices will be louder and more frequently heard than others. 

I tend not to speak up until something really seems jarring. But I must confess, I definitely felt the urge to speak up just so that everyone would know I actually had something to contribute. 

On those few occasions when I did speak up, I tended to be rather sharp in my disagreement. I don't quite know why this happens. Most people will say I'm very mild by disposition, so where does this acid come from? I can blame my foundational training as contentious litigator, but self-awareness tells me that it's necessary to acknowledge that it's more than that.

As it often happens, God promptly intervenes to point out a teachable moment. At this weekend's service, the preacher asked us to consider these questions:

When I'm stressed, what spills out of my mouth?

When I'm wronged, do I lash out?

When no one recognises my contribution, do I jump to blow my horn?

Why?

Jesus Himself observed in Luke 6:45 that what we say is a telling indicator of what's in our hearts:

"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. 

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

Our own family members are often a good barometer as well. I asked my wife about it - and she lovingly and honestly replied, yeah we know you can sometimes be sharp. I asked my daughter what I could do about it, and she said, maybe you need to be humbled. 

What good and important advice!

So what is in my heart that is spilling out of my mouth?

I shouldn't care so much if I'm wronged. But even more fundamentally, I need to puncture the pride that tells me I'm right in the first place.

I shouldn't care so much if I'm getting due recognition. And much more importantly, I need to discard the pride that yearns for said recognition.

It's pride that laces what I say with sharpness, when what I say should be infused with peace, patience and love.

So, something to work on, more important than anything substantive I picked up from the whole week of discussions!

I'm thankful that I have a private Tutor, the Author of all the universe and life, who cares enough for me so that He doesn't let teaching moments slide, or allow knowledge to merely puff me up, when there is opportunity for my life to be solidly built up, not on shifting sand, but on solid rock.

More of You, Holy Spirit!