Saying the right things at the wrong time make them the wrong things. Wisdom is knowing not only the right things to say but also when to say them.

Have your parents quoted you Bible verses out of their anger as to why you can’t do certain things ?
Has someone said to you, “he’s in a better place,” when you lost your loved one, and it didn’t make you feel any better?
Has someone tried to explain to you why a tragedy is happening to you when all you wanted was just be listened to?

It didn’t help, did it?

When Job is suffering from unimaginable pain, his friends have a theological debate with him. More specifically Bildad, in Job 25, makes short statements about God’s sovereignty and man’s sinfulness which are flawless in their correctness.

But Job gets exasperated and says, “whose spirit spoke from your mouth?” (Job 26:4) In other words, “I already know those facts about God. Why are you telling them to me now?”

He questioned their spirits. He didn’t sense that they were saying what they said, though correct, out of love but out of feeling superior since the disaster did not strike them.

When we scold our children, with what spirit do we do it? Out of anger? Out of annoyance? Or out of love?
When we speak about our friends behind their backs, with what spirit do we do it?
When we throw verbal jabs at our spouse, with what spirit?

Most people do not listen to the words but to the spirit in which they were said… I discovered children as young as 3 can pick up on it. Certainly, adults and teenagers can pick up on it.

DO NOT try to be more careful how you say things. It comes from your heart. You need a heart change. But you can’t change your heart anymore than a thing can create itself.

You need Jesus and His gospel. Go to Him again – to the cross.

PH