“I did not think before I acted”

If Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack had observed the biblical admonition to “be slow to speak” (James 1:19), he could have avoided a humiliating event this week when, failing to get all the facts, wrongfully fired a mid-level Agriculture Department official for racial discrimination. The next day he was held accountable for his words—as he was forced to apologize to the wronged official, the American people, and the President himself. His only excuse: “I did not think before I acted.”

I reject his excuse! It’s impossible to act without having first ‘thought.’ The problem was not un-thinking, but wrong thinking. And worse, wrong thinking that resulted in hurtful words.

Thoughts, as long as they stay in your head, are not nearly as harmful as words. But when those thoughts take the form of words they become harmful. Jesus said “every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the Day of Judgment; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Mat. 12:36-37) I think we can infer from Jesus’ warning that there is a difference between thoughts and words.

Perhaps this helps us to understand Paul’s instruction to take “all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.” If we did that we could avoid sinful thoughts becoming hurtful words! Folowing the James formula, we ought to be quick to listen [to our thoughts] and slow to speak [them].