Proverbs 20.19
“Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.”
Proverbs 10.8
“The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.”
The kingdom of God puts a very high priority on wisdom and discipline with regard to all forms of communication. What you say, how you say it, and why you say it are enormously important.
Communication is the central currency of human interaction. Communication is how we share what we think and express how we feel. It is how we work together to set goals and develop plans and strategies. It is how we identify issues and concerns, and how we solve problems together. It is how we challenge and hold each other accountable; it is how we encourage and support one another; it is how we discuss, debate, and persuade in the pursuit of truth.
Given the importance that communication plays in virtually everything we do, wisdom and discipline are essential. The message in the two proverbs above is clear: Be wise. Be disciplined. Exercise verbal restraint. Don’t be a babbling fool, and stay away from babbling fools.
Our lack of verbal restraint comes from the depths of our souls. It comes from hearts that are given to self rather than to God and truth. Jesus says it plainly in Matthew 12.34: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Sometimes we simply lack the wisdom and discipline to sit still and shut up.
On social media, it often plays out something like this: Something on Twitter gets our attention, triggers an impulsive reaction, and we tweet our opinion without really thinking. We feel an emotional rush because we made a declaration and are rewarded with likes, clicks, follows, and retweets.
The tragic reality is that when we do this we are just babbling fools who got liked, clicked, followed, and retweeted by other babbling fools. Read through some Twitter threads. Much of it is simply babbling fools talking to other babbling fools.
When caught in this emotional trap, we are tempted to react defensively if confronted by different opinions. We are tempted to double down on our narrative and become even more impervious to relevant input from other perspectives. We fall into the trap of promoting and protecting a narrative, rather than pursuing truth. This phenomenon is on full display in social media every day.
Of course, verbal foolishness is not exclusive to Twitter … and there was no social media in Solomon’s day. But there was gossip. There was slander. There were babbling fools.
While gossip, rants, and trolling on Twitter might feel good in the moment, the consequences are bad. Very bad. Babbling fools are horribly divisive and do enormous damage to people, relationships, families, teams, companies, and entire communities … and cultures. Bad information gets transmitted and reinforced by babbling fools.
Everyone of us is capable of being a foolish babbler. Whenever we speak without verbal restraint, it is a failure to be humble before the God who redeemed us, calls us to himself, and sends us into the world as his ambassadors. Make effective communication a priority the same way God does. Be wise and be disciplined in what you say, how you say it, and why.
Ignore the babbling fools. And please, please, don’t be one!
