Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
When Should We Say It?
Most of us recognize the importance of what we say. That is good, but it is also important to remember that the impact of what we say is shaped by when we say it, not just how we say it.
Some weeks back, my family and I were watching the Denver Broncos practice. This was training camp at the end of August. The highlight of the day was toward the end of the practice when the Broncos began to run plays. We were so close to the action that you could actually hear the quarterback calling for the football. The center snaps the ball to the quarterback based on what the quarterback says, and timing is very important. If the quarterback says the wrong thing at the right time, the ball is going to be in play when it should not. What I say is important, but when I say it can determine how effective that utterance may be.
Sometimes a person has something he needs to say. Perhaps he needs to talk to his mate. Maybe he need to clear the air, make an apology, or ask a question. God can give each of us the good sense to know when the right time is to begin such a conversation. For instance, there are some times of the day when you know the person to whom you are going to speak is going to be worn out, tired, distracted, and not inclined to listen. Sometimes we may want to say something when someone is grieving or after someone has been hurt. We need to ask God not only to give us the right words to say, but to give us the right time to say them. Timing can be everything.
My family and I have a recording of a classical artist singing a song that has, it seems, a false ending. His song reaches a climax, but the song is not actually over. At this false ending, someone in the back of the balcony yells out some affirmation like, “Bravo!” About a half second later on the recording, the artist finishes the song, and then about five seconds later, the crowd erupts in applause. Every time we listen to this, my whole family laughs because we think, “Boy, that guy must have felt like a real idiot, yelling out before the song was over.”
All of us know the feeling of saying the right thing at the wrong time. We need wisdom to know what to say and when to say it.