--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can talk and it's convenient to…" description: "\"If you can talk and it's convenient to talk, try to say things that edify.\" — Thomas a Kempis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/thomas-a-kempis-721_convenient_if-you-can-talk-and-it-s-convenient-to-t_1249177.png" --- # If you can talk and it's convenient to talk, try to say… ![“If you can talk and it's convenient to talk, try to say things that edify.” quote by Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/thomas-a-kempis-721_convenient_if-you-can-talk-and-it-s-convenient-to-t_1249177.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/thomas-a-kempis-721_convenient_if-you-can-talk-and-it-s-convenient-to-t_1249177.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/thomas-a-kempis-721_convenient_if-you-can-talk-and-it-s-convenient-to-t_1249177.png) > “If you can talk and it's convenient to talk, try to say things that edify.” [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Speak only when it benefits others, focusing on uplifting words. **In simple terms:** Say helpful things when convenient. Key Takeaway Choose edifying speech. Themes communication virtue kindness Mood reflective gentle Type spiritual advice When to use this quote - personal relationships - public speaking - leadership Key Concepts Christian ethics rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - When have you spoken to uplift? - What words can you offer to support others? A Different Perspective Convenient speech may be superficial, not sincere. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Convenient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convenient/) [Convenient Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convenient-talk-3930049/) [Edify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edify-1497111/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Say Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-things/) [Talk Convenient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-convenient-3930050/) [Things Edify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-edify-3930051/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [“Songs edify the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/songs-edify-the-soul/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Evangelize as you edify, and edify as you evangelize.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelize-as-you-edify-and-edify-as-you-evangelize/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/therefore-encourage-admonish-exhort-one-another-and-edify-strengthen/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [“..what we take to heart will either edify or destroy us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-gambill/what-we-take-to-heart-will-either-edify-or-destroy-us/) [Carol Gambill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-gambill/) > [“We next read;—“The rib which the Lord God had taken from man made He a woman.” But the last words are by no means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-pember/we-next-read-the-rib-which-the-lord-god-had-taken-from-man-made-he-a/) [G.H. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/any-creative-process-is-about-being-in-a-territory-which-isn-t-secure/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [Never threaten, because a threat is a promise to pay that it isn't always convenient to meet, but if you don't make it good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/never-threaten-because-a-threat-is-a-promise-to-pay-that-it-isn-t/) [George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/) > [For rich children, it'd be very easy and convenient never to take any steps to build an identity outside of your association with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-johnson/for-rich-children-it-d-be-very-easy-and-convenient-never-to-take-any/) [Jamie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-johnson/) ## More by Thomas a Kempis > [Have therefore zeal to better thyself and then mayst thou have zeal to thy neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/have-therefore-zeal-to-better-thyself-and-then-mayst-thou-have-zeal/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/and-if-thy-heart-be-straight-with-god-then-every-creature-shall-be-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Patience is necessary in this life because so much of life is fraught with adversity. No matter how hard we try, our lives will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/patience-is-necessary-in-this-life-because-so-much-of-life-is-fraught/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/to-take-no-account-of-oneself-but-always-to-think-well-and-highly-of/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [It is easier not to speak a word at all than to speak more words than we should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/it-is-easier-not-to-speak-a-word-at-all-than-to-speak-more-words-than/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Be Yourself -The man who is neither bent upon pleasing his fellows nor afraid of offending them will enjoy great peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/be-yourself-the-man-who-is-neither-bent-upon-pleasing-his-fellows-nor/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“0 true and heavenly grace, without which our own merits are nothing, and our natural gifts of no account! Neither arts nor riches, beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/0-true-and-heavenly-grace-without-which-our-own-merits-are-nothing/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-would-endeavor-like-men-of-courage-to-stand-in-the-battle/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“No man safely goeth abroad who loveth not to rest at home. No man safely talketh but he who loveth to hold his peace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/no-man-safely-goeth-abroad-who-loveth-not-to-rest-at-home-no-man/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“Nature has a relish for knowing secrets and hearing news. It wishes to appear abroad and to have sense experiences. It wishes to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/nature-has-a-relish-for-knowing-secrets-and-hearing-news-it-wishes-to/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Love is watchful. Sleeping, it does not slumber. Wearied, it is not tired. Pressed, it is not straitened. Alarmed, it is not confused, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/love-is-watchful-sleeping-it-does-not-slumber-wearied-it-is-not-tired/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you bear the cross gladly, it will bear you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-bear-the-cross-gladly-it-will-bear-you/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will be worthy to receive greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/be-thankful-for-the-smallest-blessing-and-you-will-be-worthy-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [If you cast away one cross, you will certainly find another, and perhaps a heavier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/if-you-cast-away-one-cross-you-will-certainly-find-another-and/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Dispose thyself to patience rather than to comfort, and to the bearing of the cross rather than to gladness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/dispose-thyself-to-patience-rather-than-to-comfort-and-to-the-bearing/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) [Explore all 387 Thomas a Kempis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) ## More Convenient quotes > [For rich children, it'd be very easy and convenient never to take any steps to build an identity outside of your association with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-johnson/for-rich-children-it-d-be-very-easy-and-convenient-never-to-take-any/) [Jamie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-johnson/) > [Never threaten, because a threat is a promise to pay that it isn't always convenient to meet, but if you don't make it good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/never-threaten-because-a-threat-is-a-promise-to-pay-that-it-isn-t/) [George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/) > [Any creative process is about being in a territory which isn't secure, isn't necessarily familiar, and isn't convenient in any sort of way. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/any-creative-process-is-about-being-in-a-territory-which-isn-t-secure/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/rulers-who-wished-to-subvert-the-public-liberty-may-have-found-an/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [I think if you look all across the country, the so-called Blue Dogs are all gone to kennel. There are no more Blue Dogs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-if-you-look-all-across-the-country-the-so-called-blue-dogs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you are my friend,you are down for me at all times,not just when it's convenient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-v/if-you-are-my-friend-you-are-down-for-me-at-all-times-not-just-when/) [Jasmine V](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-v/) > [It is convenient that there be gods, and, as it is convenient, let us believe there are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/it-is-convenient-that-there-be-gods-and-as-it-is-convenient-let-us/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending his will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stott/prayer-is-not-a-convenient-device-for-imposing-our-will-upon-god-or/) [John Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stott/) > [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Cell phones are so convenient that they're an inconvenience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/cell-phones-are-so-convenient-that-they-re-an-inconvenience/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [But while capitalism may be a convenient scapegoat, it did not cause any of these problems. Indeed, whatever one wishes to call the unruly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaron-brook/but-while-capitalism-may-be-a-convenient-scapegoat-it-did-not-cause/) [Yaron Brook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaron-brook/) > [People do what seems easy and convenient, not what is best for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-spence/people-do-what-seems-easy-and-convenient-not-what-is-best-for-them/) [John Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-spence/) > [With Zipcar, consumers avoid the upfront cost of buying a car, not to mention gas, insurance, and repairs. 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