Thought for Saturday, June 2nd

(A New Format for Summer – I hope these Daily Thoughts continue to be a blessing.) 

June 2, 2012

Is Silence Really Golden

There is nothing like the sound of silence.  If you have ever taught school, worked with children or had children of your own – you are probably well acquainted with the cacophony of less than symphonic sounds that can emanate at decibel levels of extreme intensity that one would, without prior experiences, never believe possible for such little people to create.  Anyone who has been exposed to such opportunities and allowed the joy of this type of experience, especially if on a regular basis, will truly understand the joy that can come from the quiet times.

But have you noticed that even after everyone else has gone to bed and you find yourself sitting alone in the middle of your house that there is still a multitude of sounds and noises that fill the air.  This becomes overwhelmingly noticeable if ever the power goes off and all the motors, lights and gadgets are without a source of power.

So what does any of this have to do with matters of a spiritual nature you might ask?  Often like with our electronic and motorized devices or the voices of those around us we allow our spiritual lives to be bombarded by sound and noise, so much so that it often becomes difficult to hear the still small voice of the Heavenly Father or the gentle call of the Great Shepherd, or even the nudging voice of the Holy Spirit as He attempts to get our attention and direct our activities and choices.

So indeed silence can be golden if it enables us to hear more clearly the voice of the one who we need to listen to the most.

And conversely silence can be golden if we resist speaking when the things we might say will detract from our testimony or be more destructive than instructive or supportive or encouraging.  When the words out of our mouth are not honoring to God then it might be in our, as well as everyone else’s best interest if we held our tongue and kept silent.

“I regret often that I have spoken; never that I have been silent.”

-          Publilius Syrus 

“Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

-          Abraham Lincoln

“Silence seldom hurts.”

“Little said is soonest mended.”

“Even silence may be eloquent.”

-          Anonymous

“Speech is silver, silence is golden.”

-          A French Proverb

  He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 13:3

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. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 1:26-27

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.  Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

James 3:2-10

So, is silence really golden?  From the point of view that we can experience tranquility and be better able to hear the Heavenly Father as He speaks to us.

And from the perspective that silence often keeps us from saying things that would be better if they were left unsaid.  I would have to conclude that indeed silence has its merit, its value and its purpose in our lives.  

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re the voice of hope, the voice of reason, the sound of justice and the voice of encouragement that fills my heart and life: thank you for your words of love, correction, instruction and direction: help me to guard my words more closely and to know when the time is appropriate to be golden and remain silent.

“My life is in You Lord
My strength is in You Lord
My hope is in You Lord
In You, it’s in You

I’ll praise You with all of my life
I’ll praise You with all of my strength
With all of my life, with all of my strength
All my hope is in You “

-  Lyrics from ‘My Life Is In You Lord’ by Daniel Gardner