Cathy called out to me from the utility room.
I was in the adjacent family room and hadn’t
heard what she said so I asked her to repeat the question.
Cathy repeated her question; “What’s with the
two cents?”
I came into the utility room and realized she
was asking about the coins on top of the dryer.
She continued in her investigation; “It seems
as though every load of laundry has coins in it; do you pick up pennies?”
I told her that it is just one of my (many)
quirks. “Whenever I see coins on the ground, I pick them up”; I told her and
added, “It’s not because I am hoping to get one hundred and have a dollar.”
I put my hand in the pockets of the jeans that
I was wearing and found two cents. My mind started to wander…
The phrase "My two cents" and its
longer version "put my two cents in" is oftentimes used to preface a
tentative statement of one’s opinion. To offer my two cents is to offer up my
opinion; sometimes before it is ever asked.
Another phrase; “a penny for your thoughts” is
used when the other person is asking for what I am thinking and perhaps is
asking for my opinion.
Giving my two cents may not seem like a lot and
yet it can leave an impact; especially when our opinion has been really thought
through.
I’ve been pondering this phrase because,
although often my opinion is asked from others, it really may be MY opinion;
not necessarily godly wisdom.
I’ve been pondering this phrase because
although I have a history of having an opinion about everything, I am working
on NOT giving it out just because I have an opinion.
And this includes times when others will ask
me; “What do you think about…?”
I’m working on SayING the Good; NOT
giving out my two cents but only words that will help and impart grace to the
hearers.
Do you,
too, struggle sometimes with giving your two cents? Here is what I am working
on, perhaps it will help you.
Speak to Build Others Up
Let no corrupt word proceed
out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that
it may impart grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)
Speak Without
Complaining/Arguing
Do all things without complaining
and disputing (Philippians 2:14)
Don’t Speak Too
Much
And a fool’s voice is known by his many words (Ecclesiastes
5:3b)
Fools base their thoughts on
foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked
madness; they
chatter on and on. (Ecclesiastes
10:13-14a)
Too much talk leads to sin. Be
sensible and keep your mouth shut. (Proverbs 10:19)
Speak Without Gossiping
A gossip goes
around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.
(Proverbs 11:13)
A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.
(Proverbs 16:28)
Speak Without
Criticizing Others
Don’t speak evil against each other, dear
brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But
your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. (James
4:11)
Speak At the Highest Level of Your Faith
And since we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, “I believed and
therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak (2
Corinthians 4:13)
Sounds simple; right? Well it’s not and it will
take some time to make the change. Remember it took you this long to get to
this place in your life and it may take time to get to a new way of speaking…
But if you continue to work at it, you will get there.
So have grace with yourself as you start this
new journey of only saying the good. You and those around you will be changed
for the better.
“Keep your stick on the ice; I’m pulling for
you!” -Red Green