You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Silence is golden.” Something that is gold or made of gold is something very valuable and precious. Well, the sentiment of that statement is that sometimes not saying anything, being silent, is a valuable attribute to have in life. I think about what they say about the Lord in the Old Testament, how He was reviled, scorned, lied about, and scandal was put on His name; yet in all that, He said, He did not open His mouth. He was like a sheep or a lamb before its shears; He was silent and did not respond. That’s a great principle for us to practice in our Christian life.
Did you know that everything you see on your social media, hear on your news feed, and people you talk to throughout the week-you might disagree with them, but you do not have to add your opinion and comment to everything you disagree with. You don’t have to let your voice be made known. They say, “I want to give them a piece of my mind,” but be careful because you don’t want to give too many pieces of that away! Sometimes it’s best to be silent for the sake of our own testimony. So we don’t get embroiled in some kind of public controversy, like the Corinthian church which went to law with one another before unbelievers. Why? Because we don’t always know all the details, because we’re not supposed to get involved in gossip, because it might just be none of our business, and maybe our opinion isn’t all that important anyhow. Sometimes it’s just better to sit back and observe.
I had someone tell me one time when I was starting out in the ministry: “Brother Cooper, the smartest man at the table is usually not the loudest. He’s not the one who does the most talking. Usually the one with the most wisdom, the smartest man at the table, is the most silent.” And I want you to remember that silence is golden. I hope this has been a helpful reminder for you to apply in your Christian life today.
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