Let the Silence do the Talking

Let the Silence do the Talking

“The word ‘listen’ contains the same letters as the word ‘silent.'” ― Alfred Brendel

I am one of those people that say what I’m thinking, but sometimes my words seem to skip my brain and say whatever comes out and then wonder, “where did that come from?” Most of the time, the words are good, kind, and wise, which come directly from the Holy Spirit speaking through me, but there are times when they are not wise or even kind. 

Don’t mess with my child

As a mom, I always say, “mess with me – blah, I can take it; mess with my child, and I become a mama bear.” Trust me; my mouth goes a hundred miles an hour to the point I am unrecognizable. Unfortunately, there were several times my child was bullied at school. She was scared; I was angry. I walked into the school furious. I wanted the girl’s parents in front of me, but the Vice Principal heard it all. She saw the anger in my eyes and my body language, but she is also a mom, so she understood. Her job was to be silent and listen to my concerns as a mom.

When God prompts you to be silent, you better listen

After five or ten minutes of talking like a mad momma, God took over. He prompted silence. It didn’t mean everything was okay. It meant I had to be silent and listen to God telling me to be still (Psalm 46:10) because He was in charge of the situation. In the end, the girls apologized, and in the subsequent years, my daughter was their tutor. God made good out of a bad situation. 

Let the silence do the talking

The tongue is a powerful muscle, and at times, it can hurt worse than a weapon. When words hurt others, it’s best to walk away from the situation and allow God to work His ways. I am learning the value of the saying “bite your tongue.” So many times is a great feeling to let silence do the talking, walk away, look up and give thanks to God for the strength of walking away without saying a word. So today, practice it, let the silence do the talking, and God the work.

Prayer:

God, Scripture demonstrates the power and impact words have. Please teach me when to be silent and when to speak up. Teach me to be a good steward of my words. Help me to control my tongue and speak words that honor myself, others, and most importantly You Lord. I pray through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!