He Who Restrains His Lips Is Wise

In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little.

The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.

Proverbs 10:19-21

People who make the most noise tend to have little of substance to say.

The flip side is that we don’t listen well, either. It would be good if we all learned how to be silent and still, and just listen.

Good silence is a listening silence, a humble silence. It leads to right hearing, right understanding, and right speaking.

We listen to others around us, we should also be listening to God and hearing what He has to say. Think of Jesus, scribbling with His finger in the dust while the Pharisees railed on the woman caught in adultery. Jesus may have been listening for His Father’s voice. He may have asked a question about what to say to the woman, and to the crowd.

Well-timed silence can be more eloquent than words.

Our Daily Bread – November 23, 2015