Wednesday’s Wisdom from the Word: Staying quiet…

c. Wednesday's Wisdom from the Word

For those of you who read my posts, you may have noticed that I’ve been relatively quiet this summer.  My posts have been few and far between.  Some have asked me about it, so I thought I’d tell you what’s up.

Every time I turn on the news or the Internet, I’m bombarded with topics that mean a lot to me: Penn State and Child Abuse, Chick-fil-A and homosexual marriage, presidential elections and the general state of our union.  I sit down to write my blog and these are all that I’m thinking about, and I want to join in the arguments and let my voice be heard.  So I start typing, some times finish a post, and have Jeff read it to ask if it’s OK to publish.  Usually he’ll say something like, “It’s good and well written, but why don’t you wait until tomorrow and see if you still want to publish it.”

Then tomorrow comes, and I don’t really want to.  Other times, I’ll sit down to write something not related to any of those topics but nothing really comes because they are what I’ve been thinking about.  So then I think, “Well, that’s what I should write about.”  But I usually end up walking away from the computer frustrated.

I think about why I started the blog in the first place: to encourage others as I’m pressing on, despite my imperfections, to be a better mother, wife, friend, Christian, housekeeper, and to be more healthy.  Ultimately, in doing so, I hope to point you, my readers, to Christ.

So this summer, I’ve been learning about being quiet.  I’m learning that my voice is not always needed.  I’m learning that if the things I have to say don’t ultimately point others to Christ, then they are not worth saying.  And let me tell you, that is a hard lesson to learn, because I have a lot I want to say!

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)

“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” (James 3:3-12)

Oh, God, help me to know when to speak and when to be quiet.  When I am to speak, help my words be filled with your grace, love, and truth.  Forgive me for times when my words were unnecessary, hurtful, and arrogant.

Pressing on together,

♥Becki

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