Using Tact

Using Tact

Priscilla

Read: Acts 18:24-28

Dora’s friends looked away in embarrassment. They enjoyed her company for the most part, but they always hesitated to invite her to dinner parties. Everyone could see that Dora was highly intelligent and educated, but they didn’t appreciate the way she flaunted her knowledge. She never hesitated to correct anyone, and she did it immediately and loudly. Tonight, her husband had been her victim, and Dora seemed oblivious to the hurt look on his face.

The woman in today’s Bible passage was more tactful than Dora. Since Priscilla’s name is sometimes put before her husband’s, many believe that she was more educated or had a stronger personality than Aquila. In any case, Priscilla was tactful and considerate as she ministered with her husband. When a famous, gifted speaker came to Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila went to hear him. Although Apollos preached about Jesus accurately, he didn’t know the full story. Rather than correct him in public, the couple invited him into their home and shared the news of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, which made salvation possible. They wanted to share their knowledge, not show it off.

Sometimes we get so carried away with the desire to share information that we forget to be sensitive to other people’s feelings. If we need to correct someone, it’s always best to do it in private. We also need to watch our tone and our words. People don’t appreciate being made to look or feel foolish. It’s especially important to be careful in sharing truth about God. Just because we’ve been Christians for a long time or studied the Bible for years doesn’t mean that we know it all. Jesus never made anyone feel stupid, and we are accountable for how we talk about him. If we’re not interested in other people’s feelings, they won’t be interested in hearing what we know.

While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.

1 Corinthians 8:1