Not Just 'What', but How We Communicate

​In Proverbs 26:6 scripture says, “Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.”  It is an interesting proverb.  What does it mean?  In ancient times, before the advent of the internet or social media or email or text messages or even a postal service, people sent messages by the hand of someone else.  This could either be a written message that one would hand someone else to hand carry to the person for whom it was intended, or one might give someone a verbal message to carry to someone else.  But whether one was handing someone a written message to carry or a verbal message to carry, it was important to select someone who could be trusted.  If you asked a fool to deliver a written message, he might lose it or damage it or he might open it and read it and then possibly use the information to his own advantage.  If you asked a fool to deliver a verbal message, he might get the message wrong.  He might say it in a way or in a tone that was never intended by the sender.  In any of these cases, to send “a message by the hand of a fool” is to cut off one’s own feet and drink violence.  In other words, you are asking for trouble.  The point of the proverb is to think carefully about how the message is delivered otherwise you may create more problems than you realize.  This proverb is still very applicable today.  So often we send messages via text message that really should have been sent via a longer email.  Or, we send a message to someone in an email that really should have been communicated with a phone conversation.  Or, we have a phone conversation with someone about a topic that really should have been done face to face.  Often, we end up cutting off our own feet and drinking violence because we fire off a text message or an email about something that should have been handled in person or at least with a phone conversation.  It has taken me years to learn this the hard way.  Some messages are fine through text message (e.g., ‘Can you pick up milk on the way home?’).  Other more important messages require an email where you know people will be more likely to sit down somewhere and read it (e.g., ‘I would like to explain the process of church membership at our church.’).  Some communication should minimally take place over the phone (e.g., ‘I’d like to talk with you about something you said recently that is concerning me.’).  Some topics absolutely require a face to face conversation (e.g., ‘I would like to talk to you about sin in your life I have noticed.’).  Whatever the message, make sure it is being sent via the correct means.  Don’t send a message by the hand of a fool.