By David ReayWednesday 19 Oct 2022LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. (NIV)
Words so often fill our day. Silence is seen to embarrassing, or the mark of someone who is shy or timid. Yet as this biblical saying suggests, silence is the mark of wisdom. Let’s briefly note three occasions where silence is valuable.
One is when someone is pouring out their heart about all sorts of seemingly overwhelming troubles. Trying to use a whole lot of words to assume we can fix the troubles is not going to be any help. Sensitive silence may be better. Why pretend there are easy solutions when none is available?
Another is when we are irritated or provoked by someone else. We may be tempted to tell them just what we think of them. We may be tempted to let that person know all about their bad habits and dump all our innermost feelings about them onto them. But such words, once said, can’t be unsaid. Better to forbear in silence: perhaps they are doing the same to us!
And then we can silent in prayer. We assume prayer involves words, and it often does. But silence is just as effective. God doesn’t need words to hear us. We can offer him our listening ear, we can offer him time and space in which to bring something of his truth into our deepest beings. Our words might drown out his still, small voice.
We often hear about fasting from food, but what about occasionally trying to fast from speech? Why not enjoy the sound of silence?
Blessings
David