Less is more

With food, less is more is great, but is it that same way with talking?

In the movie Angles in the Outfield, the two announcers start to have a conversation. Soon one speaks to the other and tells him less is more.

The other guy instantly quiets up.

This announcer basically told him the less he talks the better he will do.

Harsh.

Yet at the same time, there is some truth to this.

Sometimes do our words get in the way of our own purpose of speaking?

Sometimes is it better just to stop talking and just doing work?

Working in an office or working out in the fields, there is a time to talk/communicate and a time just to be quiet and get the work done.

This happens all the time, when we have someone that likes to talk at work and it keeps us from doing other work.

While ministry is a little different in the fact that talking can trump office/administration work.

Ministry can be about people and not about behind the scenes.

At some point though, do we really talk too much?

In Bill Hybels book, Just walk across the room he talks about how a testimony could be shared in under 100 words.

He mentions four different people witnessing and their problems:

1. The Long-winded story – it goes on and on and on.
   
2. The Fuzzy story – it never seems to get to the point.
   
3. The religionese story – had so many Christian inside words nobody would understand.
   
4. The Superitory story – a story with dominative language that makes the person felt talked down to.
   

Ever share a story like this? Ever hear a story like this?

Part of sharing a testimony is leaving the person to ask questions if they are interested then you can explain more.

Often we feel like we have to tell them everything that happened with us when it couldn't be further from the truth.

Sometimes less is more.

Listen to what Jesus says in Mark 4:26-28…

"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head."

For sharing our stories, often it us that needs to be brief and leave more time for God to work.

Less is more.

A man threw seed down and whether or not he does work or sleep, the seed grows.

There is only so much work a farmer can do before he has to let the seed develop on its own.

So much of it is out of his control.

This is how it works with faith and sharing our stories.

So much of it needs to be out of our hands and more in God's hands.

The seed can still grow without us being on guard 24/7.

The kingdom of God will grow when we focus on taking us out of the equation and putting more of God in it.

What do you think?

Does your faith story go on and on?

At what point do we need to show less is more?

Who do we need to share our faith with?

Have a great day.