Conference yukon::christian_v7

560.0. "I read this in Discipleship Journal " by TAPE::LKL (Void where prohibited) Fri Sep 09 1994 07:16

    
    
    An excerpt taken from  Unseen Warfare by Lorenzo Scupoli, trans. E.
    Kadloubovsky and G.E.H Palmer.  London:Faber and Faber Ltd., 1963,
    pp.143-147.    Lorenzo Scupoli (1530-1610) was an Italian spiritual
    writer associated with the Theatines- a religious order dedicated to
    church reform, world missions, and service to the poor adn the sick.
    Unseen Warfare is a popular devotionakl ork that has been published in
    numerous editions and translated into nearly every modern language.
    
    Our speech reflects and reinforces whatever fills our hearts.
    
    "The greatest necessity of all is to control and curb our tongues.  
    The mover of the tongue is the heart: what fills the heart is poured 
    out through the tongue.  And conversely, when feeling is poured out 
    of the heart by the tongue, it becomes strengthened and firmly rooted
    in the heart.  Therefore the tongue is one of the cheif factors in
    building up our inner disposition.
    
    Loquacity [excessive talkativeness] mostly come from a certain
    vainglory, which makes us think we know a great deal and imagine our
    opinion on the subject of conversation to be the most satisfactory of
    all.  So we experience an irresistable urge to speak out and in a 
    stream of words, with many repititions, to impress the same opinion in
    the hearts of others, thus foisting ourselves upon them as unbidden
    teachers.
    
    This refers, however, to cases when the subjects of conversation are
    more or less worthy of attention... Empty talk is the door to criticism
    and slander, the spread of false rumors and opinions, the sower of
    discord and strife.  It stifles the taste for mental work and
    practically always serves as a cover for the absence of sound knowledge.
    When wordy talk is over, and the fog of self-complacency lifts, it
    always leaves behind a sense of frstration and indolence.
    
    Rules for speech...
    Do not prolong conversation with a man wwho is not listening to you
    with a good heart, lest you weary him and make yourself abhorrent.
    
    Beware of speaking in a severe or superior manner; for both ar ehighly
    disagreeable and make people suspect you of great vanity and a high
    opinion of yourself.
    
    About things that you are certain to be true or false, or self-evident,
    speak with conviction, saying taht they are true, false or evident.
    
    ABout doubtful things beter say nothing, but when necessary say that
    they are doubtful and reserve judgment.
    
    Of what you know nothing, say nothing.
    
    Speak of  God with reverence, especially of His Love and goodness; at
    the same time be fearful lest you commit a sin by speaking wrongly
    about Him, confusing the simple hearts of the listeners.
    
    ...When you have to speak before expressing what has entered your heart
    and letting it pass to your tongue, examine it casrefully.; and you
    will find many things that are better not let past your lips....
    
    To keep up the zeal in this work of controlling the tongue, reflect as
    often as you can on the pernicious results of indiscriminate babbling
    and on the salutory results of wise silence.
    
    James 3:2 , James 3:8 , Proverbs 10:19 , and Ecc 10:14 are quoted in
    this excerpt.

    RE:0
    Excellent !

    Here's a quote from "My Imitation of Christ" by Thomas Kempis.

    "As often as I have been amongst men" said a philosopher, "I
     have returned less a man;" this we often experience when
     we talk long.

    Jim (who needs to practice silence more often)
    

Hmmmm.  Very pertinent, Lisa, thanks....!

I like Matthew 12:34b : "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."

ie what we say reflects what we are - like, where our treasure is laid 
up...  The verbosity of a preacher should reflect his lingering in the 
presence of the LORD...

Those warnings against letting the tongue flap on without valid cause are 
lip-sealers!

�    Rules for speech...
�    Do not prolong conversation with a man wwho is not listening to you
�    with a good heart, lest you weary him and make yourself abhorrent.

In witnessing this is especially significant.  You can only talk to someone
about the LORD if they are with you in the conversation, and not either
bursting to oppose, nor totally switched off.  You have to get their
participation in the conversation, to ensure that you are communicating.
Otherwise you could make someone a Christian by sticking a label on them. ;-} 

�    Beware of speaking in a severe or superior manner; for both are highly
�    disagreeable and make people suspect you of great vanity and a high
�    opinion of yourself.
Amen.  A killer.

�    About things that you are certain to be true or false, or self-evident,
�    speak with conviction, saying that they are true, false or evident.

*That* I have to keep reminding myself of.  I too often assume my audience 
sees it from my perspective :-{

�    Of what you know nothing, say nothing.

							Andrew

    Thanks Lisa for posting this.
    
    I have to say it's timely for me... I recently stepped back from
    communications which were filled with "vainglory"... 
    
    Now, I need even more practice to continue knowing when the tongue is
    wagging and when the tongue is edifying.
    
    
    

	Altogether too timely to be coincidence, Lisa.

	Thanks much!

	Karen