At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16: 11)
“He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, tt shall be counted a curse to him”
Proverbs 27:14
An American saying is that the only difference between salad and garbage is timing. One moment the bowl is still on the table, and some people are still helping themselves, while the next moment that same bowl on on the counter over the dishwasher, and its few remaining contents are headed for the garbage disposal momentarily. Timing matters.
This points to the same truth that Solomon is giving us. Timing matters. If someone shows up at your house at 5 am, pounding on the door with loud, exuberant cries of joy, the residents of the house will consider him to be the equivalent of someone given over to railing and cursing. It does not matter that he had an appointment to go fishing with his friend because it was dark at 5 am and he got the wrong house.
Timing matters. Proverbs tell us elsewhere about the value of a word that is “fitly spoken” (Prov. 25:11). In other words, when the words spoken are set with due regard for timing, it is like fine jewelry. When words are evaluated on the basis of the content of the words only, this is a haphazard approach, one that runs the risk of making a big mess.
A wise person pays attention to more than the truthfulness of what is said. It is also important to note the propriety of what is said, and a big part of that depends on when you say your piece.
A common saying is that the door of your mouth should have three keys—is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? I would like to suggest that we add a fourth key—is it timely?
