I talk too much

[The Knight]

I hate it that I talk so much. Every time I get into a small group or a class. I get to running my mouth. Same when I'm having long conversations with other brothers in Christ.

But I can't help it. If there's one thing I can talk about for hours and hours it's about Jesus, the things of God, the Bible, and the like. I hate to be someone who talks about one ting all the time, but nothing makes me more excited than talking about the Lord. Yeah, I can talk about other stuff, I guess, but I don't enjoy it like I enjoy talking about the Lord.

But what I really need to do is just shut up and listen. James 1:19, right?

[Lou Newton]

I hate it that I talk so much. Every time I get into a small group or a class. I get to running my mouth. Same when I'm having long conversations with other brothers in Christ.

But I can't help it. If there's one thing I can talk about for hours and hours it's about Jesus, the things of God, the Bible, and the like. I hate to be someone who talks about one ting all the time, but nothing makes me more excited than talking about the Lord. Yeah, I can talk about other stuff, I guess, but I don't enjoy it like I enjoy talking about the Lord.

But what I really need to do is just shut up and listen. James 1:19, right?

Karl I am 71 and when I bought my last car ( that was 14 years old) I went around showing it to some of my friends and even called my son in Chicago to tell him about it. I was very thankful to The Lord for leading me to it and helping me to save the money for it.

Some might have not understood my excitement about a 14 year old car. But my old one was requiring more and more repairs and I had to fix it myself. What ever went wrong I had to fix, for I could not afford to have someone else fix it. I was very thankful to a friend who replaced the ball joints when I first bought it. But he lives a long way from me.

So I wanted to tell everyone about it. But that is only a car that will soon rust into nothing. It will not get a new body like we will.

It was Bruce who called me and asked me if it was Ok to have you call me. Of course I said OK. That was about 4 years ago. I remember our first telephone conversation. I had great difficulty understanding you when you spoke. You had so little confidence in yourself, you tended to speak so softly that one had a very hard time understanding you.

You had so little confidence in yourself you could not believe you were saved. I just preached the gospel to you every time we talked. You would admit that the scriptures said you were saved, but then call back again in a short period thinking you must not be saved.

Now you are a new creature in Christ. When you call, you preach the gospel to me and it is music to my ears to hear you do this. I have never seen anyone change as much as the Lord has changed you in four short years.

When Jesus healed the blind they went around telling everyone in their excitement. So now you are excited about what Jesus has done for you. I for one am filled with joy watching you come out of your shell.

When a baby first learns to walk, he is excited and runs across the room yelling, watch me daddy. But after he skins his knee a couple of times, he will slow down. My child was no bother when he did this. I loved watching him grow, and I was in pain when he hurt himself.

Jesus loves to watch you grow and He is in pain whenever you are in pain.

When Isaac would run toward some real danger, I would run and scoop him up in my arms, and tell him. no, no stay way from that. The Lord Jesus will do the same for you. If you run toward any real danger Jesus will scoop you up in His arms and tell you no, stay away from that.

He is very good Father. Relax and enjoy your life with Him.

He has been a very good DADDY to me.

Your friend
Lou

[Baruch]

I talk too little

Dear Karl,

I have the other problem. Though not by personal choice or any application of prudence or wisdom. I am just built this way.

When I hear speech, I have to examine the many angles. I don't understand why, I simply must. This takes time and effort. I can't figure out a way to expedite this need. I find that group conversations move too fast for me to participate, period, so I end up letting the conversation flow past me.

Often I wish I were not so burdened with an introspective mind, that I could be minimally agile in a group conversation. I sympathized deeply with Moses when the Lord pressed him to lead the people.

When I need to I can seize the floor. I can rein in the conversation so that the participants include me. I reserve this arguably disruptive behavior for important topics.

I guess what I would conclude is the Lord has made each of us differently. While my flesh sees weaknesses and strengths in human terms, the Lord sees it differently. He uses our weaknesses as His strengths; and our strengths often enough can become our stumbling blocks. The Spirit will identify that which we must bring into subjection, and he will water that which serves the Lord.

Peace, brother.

[Blane]

Edifying thread, brethren. Thanks for starting it, Karl.

Baruch, I can really relate to your post. I suppose I see glimpses of myself in some of your comments. I tend to get quiet in a large group, primarily reverting to observation mode. But I will speak up in a large group if I feel strongly about something on my heart. I'm most talkative when I'm one-on-one, but even then I often speak fewer words than the other person.

Blane