Jump Start # 894

Proverbs 15:28 “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”

The Proverbs are full of contrasts and insights. Our passage is an illustration of that. Righteous is contrasted with wicked and ponder with pouring. Not only is saying the right thing being considered here, but also taking the time to think about what one says.

Pondering seems to be a lost quality these days. Ponder is the idea of thinking, reflecting, considering, chewing on an idea, giving it some time before one replies. It seems these days we like speed. Speed dialing on our phones. Fast internet connections. Fast foods. We don’t like waiting in line, traffic or being put on hold while on the phone. This rushed and hurried pace affects our thinking and talking. We say things without thinking it out. We do this so often that we justify it with cute expressions, such as, “I always just say what’s on my mind.” The lack of pondering can hurt us.

Not everything has a quick and easy answer. Some things are complicated and needs to be thought out. Simplistic answers can be perceived as shallow answers and for some, they may not seem like an answer at all.

The problems some get themselves into are not easily solved by a quick sentence. The arguments of evolution, same-sex marriage advocates, and other proponents of falsehoods are not answered by simplistic phrases such as, “That’s dumb,” or, “That’s sick.” There is some pondering that needs to be done. Things need to be thought out. Strong, intelligent and Biblical arguments will destroy any falsehood, but they must be pondered first. Don’t be in a hurry. Look into what is being questioned or said. Study what’s behind these arguments and then ponder. Think strongly and deeply.

Pondering is not an excuse to dodge things or refusing to answer things. Pondering is thinking. I’ve seen some folks tell others the truth, but they hurt them or offended them because they did not ponder the best way to respond. “I told him the truth,” may be an accurate statement, but if you belittle them or mock them in the process, you may win the battle, but lose the war.

Remember the golden rule, as we call it, from Matthew 7. Answer in such a way that builds faith, removes doubt and shows that you care. Ponder.

I know a few that are great at pondering. When I ask them a question, you can see the wheels turning. They don’t immediately answer. When they say something, it is rich. It is well thought out. It is helpful. If is full of insight and it has thought of different perspectives, different consequences and different applications.

Those that ponder are also those that mediate. They think things out. They roll things around in their mind. This is especially true of Bible passages. Shallow thinking leads to shallow faith. It’s enough to get a person by, but there remains too many questions, too many situations where a person doesn’t know which way to go, too much doubt. Deep faith comes from deep thinking, deep pondering and deep experiences with the Lord.

I wonder if one reason we don’t ponder much these days is because we don’t want to spend the time it takes to ponder. We like the quick and easy.

Thinking about the “how comes” of human nature, of the Bible and of ourselves helps us. Reflection, insight, pondering and meditating are the attributes of strong and spiritual people. It seems that those that ponder spiritually find less trouble than the rest of us. Because they think things out and not rush into things, they avoid the call of temptation and the embarrassment of speaking out of place. Pondering will do that for a person.

When someone has said something that burns your biscuits, do some pondering before you decide to let them have it. Giving someone a piece of your mind, especially in a hurry, often escalates the problem and divides friends. Do some pondering. Cool down. Think with a level head. Be spiritual. Consider what the Lord would do. Shooting the mouth off, as the fool does,  is most always messy and wrong.

Ponder. Give things some thought. You’ll find fewer arguments when you take up pondering. You’ll find greater depth when you ponder. You’ll realize what you are saying makes sense, because it is not spoken from emotion but insight.

Instead of always driving with the radio on, drive in silence, but do some pondering. While cutting the yard, do some pondering. While going for a walk, do some pondering. While waiting, do some pondering. Take the ear plugs out and once in a while do some pondering. Put the cell phone down, turn off the TV, and do some pondering. Given a few moments, before worship begins, before the light turns green, before the movie begins, instead of playing the latest game on your phone or tablet, do some thinking. Give pondering a try. Think about how you are doing with the Lord. Think about the kids. Lower the nets. Do some pondering.

Ponder…now, give that some thought!

Roger