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Recently, I talked about the importance of discretion. And I made statement I want to clarify: A lack of discretion is a sign of insecurity.
We can blame ignorance on our lack of discretion (Oh, I wasn’t thinking…. or I didn’t know…) but I can tell you from first-hand experience that insecurity might be the number one reason people open their mouths and speak. I know, because this has been my problem most of my life.
But Daphne, you teach on righteousness and help people in their confidence in God…
Yes, but no matter how much you learn, your original weaknesses will always be a target for the enemy. Look at these examples in scripture of a lack of discretion:
1 Timothy 6:20 “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.”
There’s a key word you should watch for in your Bible: idle. Put that with the word “babblings” and you’re sure to find a lack of discretion. In other words, when people are together and there’s a lull in the conversation, there’s a strong temptation to fill the gap with idle babblings. But on the other hand, when we’re comfortable in our own skin, we don’t mind a little silence. Or if necessary, depending on the situation, we can wisely choose a conversation piece without telling everything we know (i.e. lack of discretion).
2 Timothy 2:16 “But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness” (AMP).
There’s that word idle again. The Message Translation of this same verse hits a home run: “Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they’re not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul.”
The point is when we feel inferior and want affirmation, there’s a strong temptation to TALK. And if we’re not careful, we’ll leave the conversation regretting everything we said because it was simply idle. On the other hand, when we have a confidence in who we are in Christ, meaning a knowledge that we are loved and accepted by Him, then the temptation to be liked by others will not be so overpowering.
