A Lesson from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

I don't really claim to be a Star Wars junkie (not sure if there's a name for this fandom), but I do enjoy a good battle between both sides of The Force every now and then. Yesterday, Tanner and I started to watch Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (or the Star Wars where the little boy races in the flying machine, as I referred to it) and I had a mini-revelation. Right in the beginning of the movie when The Federation (the bad guys) has begun to invade the planet of Naboo (kinda like Earth) , Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) saves a creature by the name of Jar Jar Binks. Jinn tells Jar Jar he almost got them killed and asked if he's brainless to which Jar Jar replies, "I speake!", meaning he's not brainless since he talks. Then Jinn (Neeson), who, as always plays the all-knowing, kick-butt, fighter dude, says the quote that led to inspire this post:

"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent..." 

MIND BLOWN. I know it's pretty simple, but how many people can you think of that you wish you could say this to.  Just because you can talk, doesn't mean that you should. Just because you have a thought, doesn't mean it should be said out loud. There is tons of scripture about taming your tongue, I saw a few out that I think could best be used in this context.

Proverbs 12:18     There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I made the Varsity Volleyball team, which seemed like a pretty big deal at the time. I was the youngest on the team and I felt really uncomfortable because I didn't know any of the other girls, and when I'm uncomfortable I tend to make light of situations by joking around or playing pranks on people or whatever (a trait I've gotten from my mom, we both have really disturbing definitions humor... think wry, English humor). Anyways, so to try to bond with the other girls, I'd call them out on silly things they did or do impersonations of them, and I thought everyone enjoyed it, until one day the coach asked me to stay after practice. She sat me down and explained that everyone on the Varsity team had come to her and said I'd hurt their feelings with harsh words, jokes and such. HOW EMBARRASSING!! I was mortified and I felt like the biggest jerk in the entire universe. Not only did I have to sit through that lecture, the next practice while we waited for our coach to arrive, I decided I really needed to apologize to everyone, so I did. Unfortunately, that didn't really help and I spent a lot of my team bus rides sitting by myself. It was a terrible season, but a lesson well learned.

Sometimes we may not think our words hurt, but they do. Take an extra few seconds to really consider these three things before you say anything:

1) Does this need to be said out loud? 

2) Does this need to be said out loud, by me?

3) Does this need to be said out loud, by me, right now?

If the answer is no to any of these, just keep it to yourself.

Liam Neeson actually pulls off the half-ponytail if you ask me.