Watching tennis up close, as I did Friday with my friend Bud at the Davis Cup quarterfinals, I was amazed at the pace of the game. Players today are tall and strong, with commanding serves (130+ miles per hour), rocket forehands, and heavily spun groundstrokes. Their weapons include technologically advanced, aerodynamic racquets (not the Jack Kramer wood racquets I grew up with) and shoes designed for ultimate propulsion and efficiency. The result is a speed and agility that almost seems superhuman, shots that leave you breathless.
But while speed is everything in the world of tennis, the world of wisdom is not so impressed with quickness. The morning peditation in Proverbs 18 underscores the need to slow down–
“A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind” 18:2(slow down and listen–avoid a closed mind and an open mouth)
“He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him” 18:13(slow down and make sure you know the question)
“The first to plead his case seems right, until another man comes and examines him” 18:17 (slow down and hear all sides before deciding–there’s always two sides to an argument)
So–as you go about today–take some pace off your game. Resist the pressure to give rocket replies. Respond only when the facts are laid out. Don’t be too impressed with your own opinions. There’s a reason humility and honor go together (18:12).