The Bible Edge
Practical Points to Ponder from Proverbs
Proverbs 14:23
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
Big talk, little do. You know them. Always speaking about “I’m going to do this” or “I’m going to do that.” But in reality, they do nothing. There is a phrase in an old Ron Hamilton song that says something like: “Your talk talks, and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.” That is a very true statement.
A sister verse to this verse is Ecclesiastes 5:3, For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. There are many big talkers and few big doers. Talk is easy, takes little energy, impresses those that hear, takes no real forethought, perhaps the most ubiquitous aspect of big talk is the time element. It takes little time to talk about big plans, yet it takes a lot of time, heart wrenching, back breaking, sometimes disappointing, and always longer than usual time to accomplish much that is meaningful.
Consider a young person’s dream of having a good career, really making a difference, a splash, an impact in their chosen profession. But yet, a career takes forty, sometimes fifty years of work. Day to day, week in and week out, month to month, and year to year to accomplish their goals. A lot of things happen in the course of a career. Health issues, relationship issues, market changes, and perhaps the worse the dull humdrum of working hour after hour. Many times the young person’s dream is hit with a big dose of reality.
Years ago, I wrote this little poem called “The Quitter’s Creed.”
I never have frustrations.
The reason is to wit,
If at first, I don’t succeed,
I just simply quit!
There is nothing wrong with talking about big plans, or little ones for that matter, for through talking them out plans can be made, objections can be considered, and the help of others can be enlisted if need be. But somewhere along the way the talk has to end, and the work has to begin.
The Bible Edge for today is o tput effort to your talk. Otherwise only penury awaits.
William T. Howe, Ph.D.
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