THE CYNICAL TONGUE

The Cynical Tongue

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel

of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,

nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psalm 1:1




Eliab, David’s oldest brother, was a true cynic.

When David went down to the scene of the battle and saw Goliath, the Philistine giant who was intimidating the Israelites, he became indignant. He emphatically and confidently stated that he would personally take care of this “uncircumcised Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:36). Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant of protection and provision for the Israelites. David knew that this bully had no such covenant with God; only the Israelites could claim such a benefit. David was very secure in the covenant and totally embraced God’s promise. Obviously, this was not so for Eliab.




Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he

spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you

come down? And with whom have you left

those few sheep in the wilderness? I know

your insolence and the wickedness of your

heart; for you have come down in order to

see the battle.” But David said, “What have

I done now?” (1 Samuel 17:28-29).




Eliab, whose name meant “God is my father”

(imagine one with such a name running from the

giant), scorned David’s confidence and his motives;

cynicism had him in its grip.




A person who is cynical scorns the motives of

others. Cynicism is like venom; it poisons the atmo-

sphere wherever it is present. Resorting to it will also

poison your spirit and that of others. Find one cyn-

ical employee, parishioner, or family member, and

pretty soon those with weaker minds are chiming in

and perpetuating the negative conversation. It can

wreak havoc on any relationship and in any envi-

ronment. When I managed a staff of people who

were always under the gun to complete important

deadlines, I tried to reward and de-stress them by

taking the entire staff to lunch from time to time.

Because this required us to close our department for

a couple of hours, attendance was mandatory. There

was one antisocial sourpuss, however, who always put a damper on our outings with her cynical remarks

and overall negative attitude about the company. I

finally started letting her stay at the office while the

rest of us had a good time. I found that distancing

myself from a cynic was my best coping strategy.

As you proceed on your tongue fast, really begin

to observe your comments in various settings and

determine if you are being cynical or scornful. Retire

from cynicism today.




Today’s Affirmation:

I am blessed because I do not walk in

the counsel of the ungodly nor stand

in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat

of the scornful.