THE WISDOM OF SILENCE (4)

“A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul” – Proverbs 18:7

The WISDOM of SILENCE delivers from the destruction of Folly: “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul” (Pro.18:7). The fool, despite being shallow, often wants to be heard rather than listen and learn from others: “A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart” (v.2). The wise person however runs deep: “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook” (v.4). In reality, Life is about striking a balance between two seemingly contradictory instructions: “DO NOT ANSWER a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. ANSWER a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” How do we choose which to heed? When we wait and listen for the Holy Spirit, He’ll tell us if we’re in a Proverbs 26:4 or 26:5 moment.

Here are Four other instances in which Silence would be appropriate and wise:

When we haven’t verified a story: “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him” (v.13). Every story sounds true until we hear the other side: “The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him” (v.17). So, when we haven’t verified a story we’ve just been told, about someone who allegedly wronged another, sinned, or behaved foolishly, it’s wise to stay silent. We should do what we would want others to do for us – confirm the story from the mouths of two or three witnesses; and not neglect to get the other side of the story from the person directly. Making remarks or judgments prior to doing so is a recipe for disaster.

When we haven’t been released to speak: “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive” (Pro.17:28a). The flesh likes to talk a lot; yet “when there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable” (Pro.10:19, AMP). If I have something on my heart, how do I know if I should share it with a friend, co-worker, boss, pastor, or anyone else? When I am not sure if I should share a thought, counsel, criticism, or even ask a question, it’s better to stay silent until I’m released by the Holy Spirit to do otherwise. A tugging of the Holy Spirit could be a sign to pause and take the time to be silent long enough to hear from Him.

When there is a bad or unpleasant news: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psa.141:3). Bad news can start a whirlwind of thoughts filled with anger, doubt, fear, or hurt. We’re tempted to blurt out the first thing we think, which is usually negative, rather than Stop, Pause, and Stay Silent. Our first words are critical to the eventual turn of events. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Pro.18:21). We should stay silent in response to bad news, until we’re prepared to respond ONLY with faith-filled words. Until we become fluent in the language of Faith, we must learn the language of silence, especially in response to unpleasant news or events.

When we need to listen: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be SWIFT to HEAR…” (Jam.1:19a). God wants to hear from us, but our prayer time is so often full of our own talking He can barely get a word across! Many Believers are in the habit of doing all the talking. But there are times when we need to be silent and just listen for the still, small voice. There is a listening part of prayer, without which prayer may be considered incomplete. It’s amazing what we would hear from God when, by the Wisdom of Silence, we quiet our spirit.