The Blessing of Being Quiet
Do you ever feel like you have to be a running commentary on everything going around you? If you hear someone, even strangers, talking politics do you want to “mount a stump” and assert the only sane view? If you hear someone discussing education do you speak up with the only educated view? When you’re around others and the topic of child rearing comes up, do you become the fount of all wisdom?
Natural impulse is to speak first and think later. But as usual God’s word runs counter-natural to our impulses. Consider the following verses as food for thought:
1. Proverbs 10:19, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Here God explains that an overly talkative mouth is like an open trap for sin.
2. Proverbs 18:13, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” God says in essence, if you put your mouth in gear before your brain is in motion you will not only, not get anywhere you will look like a tricycle on the freeway of life.
3. James 1:26, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” Here God tells us that the use of the mouth is a spiritual thermometer.
4. Proverbs 26:4, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.” God’s word seems to be leading us to be careful about giving advice to a fool because if you lay around with the dogs you may come up with the fleas too.
5. Proverbs 27:27,28, “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” Believe me, there are many more verses we could share with you on this subject but keep this final though in mind. Don’t give everybody a piece of your mind, you may not have any to spare. Learn to listen even to those people diametrically opposed to your view points, you can learn from people’s mistakes as well as their accomplishments. God gave us two ears and one mouth, lets be twice as interested in listening as speaking. There is a blessing in being quiet!
- Pastor Pope -
That’s not all folks!
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done!
Author Unknown
Done!