When communicating, it’s so important that the message is effectively presented for the reader to fully understand its point. Otherwise, bad things can happen. Too much information, and the message becomes lost. The audience isn’t sure what to think.

Nineteenth century evangelist Charles Spurgeon had this to say, “Long visits, long stories, long essays, long exhortations, and long prayers, seldom profit those who have to do with them. Life is short. Time is short.…Moments are precious. Learn to condense, abridge, and intensify…In making a statement, lop off branches; stick to the main facts in your case. If you pray, ask for what you believe you will receive, and get through; if you speak, tell your message and hold your peace; if you write, boil down two sentences into one, and three words into two. Always when practicable avoid lengthiness — learn to be short.” (Sword & Trowel, September 1871)¹

How true are Spurgeon’s words! Who among us has not nearly fallen out of our chair in coma-induced slumber during a long speech or fidgeted uncomfortably in our chair during a long, pointless meeting? In Proverbs 18:4 (NIV), Solomon wrote, “The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.” Keeping the message brief is like a rushing stream, as Solomon wrote, kept wise and not lost in the wordy depths of ambiguity. Similarly, the Teacher reminds us in Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NIV), “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” Again, in Ecclesiastes 6:11 (NIV), the Teacher informs us, “The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?”

Jesus tells us, in Matthew 6: 7 -8 (NIV), “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Of course, Jesus’s lesson concerned prayer; but his point can be related to writing, as well. Writers can easily find themselves surrendering to the view that the more words used, the louder their voice and the more compelling their story.  

Brevity in writing is important, whatever the message. Of course, the writer is well within her right to use as many or as few words as she deems necessary. I have tried to brief in this post by way of example. Thanks for indulging me.

¹lucidbooks, “7 Writing Tips from Charles Spurgeon,” 2/22/2016. Retrieved from https://lucidbookspublishing.com/7-writing-tips-from-charles-spurgeon/?fbclid=IwAR3uUmjb2jOP8MyZ7AQEvU_MIYHI5QYC-lDrBTfVOZNvSGQUosJxqeLrZNg on 1/4/2020