Communication

Verbal Accuracy Or Taking Every Thought Captive

by Terry Barlow
05/11/13
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"I checked the TV schedule, there's nothing on worth watching,' I informed my wife. But then I got to thinking. That was probably not entirely accurate. There may have been quite a lot on those numerous channels that was worth watching. I just didn't happen to connect with anything I saw right off the top. It might have been more accurately put in this way: "There's nothing on that I CONSIDER (at this moment) to be worth watching.' At least that leaves open the probability of progams that are worth watching that I don't happen to be aware of at this moment in my life. This isn't only about TV if you're wondering. It is about taking the time to be accurate in our communications. So often we use the terms "never" and "always", for example. "You always say that." Maybe better said, "You OFTEN say that." Or, 'You never help me!" How about, you seem rarely ever to help me when I need you to.' A lot of this kind of verbal inaccuracy adds up to inaccurate thought process too, which triggers negative emotions more strongly than they would otherwise be triggered. A well-known columnist wrote this recently: "People who talk incessantly often talk imprecisely." There is just more flowing verbiage to keep up with to filter for accuracy and it can't be done efficiently. There is a proverb that says, "In a multitude of words there lacks not sin." One of the Greek words for sin (hamartia) means literally "to miss the mark.' So many of our mistakes and regrets begin precisely at this level of the sloppy inaccuracy of some of our spoken words feeding into and steming from the run of rampant thoughts we often allow. At least I often allow such and I confess it here and now. God, help me and any others who can identify to take every thought captive to obedience.