5:68 – Keeping My Mouth Shut Is Hard

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Intro

I llike to talk. It let’s me share ideas, help people learn, and build community. As I get older, especially in parenting, sometimes I just need to shut my mouth. When I speak it can inflame a tense situation but being quiet allow others the space to think, to speak or to remain quiet. This is a skill I wish I had developed earlier. Also when you are silent, it’s a chance for you to hear God speak.

Questions

• When are times that you have chosen to be silent?
• How do they help you grow?
• How can being silent change our relationships?

Scripture

• Proverbs 17:28 – Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
• Proverbs 18:13 – If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

Reflection

No one wants to be a fool. You can be right, act in good faith, and still provoke a situation by speaking. It’s something I’m learning on a daily basis. It’s not necessarily about being right but about being in the right place at the right time with the right words. Have you heard the phrase, “think before you speak”? This relates it our second Proverbs verse as we need the. Stop, think, and wait before responding. When we don’t, we are the fool.

As we close there are many times when we need to be silent. We may not have the information, may not be the right messenger, or the other person needs to space and time to think. Whichever one it is, we need to learn that silence can be golden.

Prayer

Dear God, tonight we pray for wisdom. Help us to know when to speak, how to speak, and when shutting our mouth is the best thing for everyone. Give us that knowledge and strength to be able to ac on it. Let us lean into you, always. In your name, we pray, Amen.

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