The definition of "thrift" I find most fitting is from Answers.com: "Wise economy in the management of money and other resources." It doesn't carry with it some of the negative connotations of other definitions; those which sound miserly, hoarding or selfish. Who wouldn't want to employ "wise economy" in the use of all of their resources?
While thrift in the use of money has been part of my life for a long time, lately I've been thinking about how it applies to my other resources. I've realized that a commodity I'm rarely at a loss for is words. Lots of words. I've also realized that, when it comes to how I spend my words, "wise economy" is often absent from the equation.
We've all made purchases -- expenditures -- which were wise acquisitions. Often they were things or experiences which enhanced our lives or the lives of others. In much the same way, our words can bring joy, encouragement, hope and laughter to those around us. Those are rarely the words we regret having spoken, and in fact, we ourselves come away from those verbal transactions feeling that our lives have been enriched.
We've also made purchases we have later regretted. (One that readily comes to my mind is a black minivan -- but, that's another story.) Our unwise purchases often cost us much, much more, in the long run, than we initially expected. Not only are the costs financial, but we sometimes encounter relational costs as well, as a consequence of our mis-spending. In those situations, the damage can take a long time to repair.
I wish I could say that all of my words have always been "wise economy", but I am often far from thrifty in my use of them. Much like the dollars I can't 'un-spend', the words of criticism, judgment and complaint I have spoken are a part of my verbal legacy. Those I regret most are both words that have wounded others, and those which have allowed pride, and not humility, to grow in my heart.
The good news is that, although I may never be able to take back the words I have spent poorly, I have the opportunity -- and so do you -- to make wiser word choices in the future. In the same way that each of us can turn around our financial situations by making more careful choices, we can choose to be more deliberate in the future when it comes to how we spend our words. Knowing this gives me hope that, when all is said and done, (yes, I actually went there,) I will have many more verbal assets than liabilities.
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Matthew 7:1 NIV) My dear mother-in-law used to say it this way: "There's so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it doesn't behoove any of us to talk about the rest of us." Her example of wise verbal economy was amazing. In the years I knew her, I never heard her speak badly of anyone, or to anyone.
So, if any of us lacks wisdom in the use of our words, let us "ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it [wisdom} will be given to him." (James 1:5 NIV) Let us make the commitment to spend our words and all of our resources with wisdom, to the glory of God who gives us breath to speak.
--Susan Rodebush © 2010
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