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What King Solomon Taught Me About Twitter

Twitter with a Crown

I’m guessing if Twitter was a thing in King Solomon’s day, he would have had a serious following with all his pithy proverbs. But this morning as I was reading the book of Ecclesiastes, I came across this word of caution that all Tweeters should keep close to heart:

“Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.” Ecclesiastes 10:20

Twitter is designed to proclaim what you’re thinking to the world, or at least anyone who wants to give you a listen. But Solomon says that a little bird taking what you think out for all to hear might not always be the best thing.

Politicians, athletes, executives, communications directors (ironic huh?) and even pastors have gotten in trouble for just letting their thoughts fly.

As a man who has deleted his own fare share of foolish tweets, I thought I’d pass along a few words of wisdom from the proverbs that I keep in mind before I invite the world hear what I’m thinking:

Proverbs 10:19 “Where there are many words transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

Proverbs 12:16 “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.”

Proverbs 12:23 “A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.”

Proverbs 17:27–28 “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”

Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.”

Proverbs 25:28 “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

Proverbs 29:11 “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”

Twitter can be a great tool to encourage, make people laugh, and share what’s happening in your life. It can also get you into a mess of trouble. So think before you tweet, or even better, pray and ask the Lord if what you are about to say is going to be helpful to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29).

 

Here are a few other Twitter related articles to check out:

Why and How I am Tweeting – John Piper

The Ten Commandments of Twitter – Kevin DeYoung

What Kind of Online Culture Are We Cultivating? – Dane Ortlund

To Retweet Or Not To Retweet: The Question Of Retweeting Compliments – Nathan Bingham

The Discipline of Secrecy and the Joy of Honoring Others – Justin Taylor

Should a Christian Use Social Networking Tools – Got Questions?

 

 

Picture courtesy of LEADiFY