A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
Ecclesiastes 3:7
The wisdom to know the difference... What is this connection between listening or speaking? Guarding our tongues is so difficult... unless you have lived with your words and didn't like the outcome. Have you ever been quiet, listened, and waited on just the right words for the pain, anger, or frustration to fall away from the one who was sharing? Did you, in turn, share words that were so perfected that you had no idea where that wisdom came from? Most of the time, I know to be in prayer to our Lord as someone is sharing. At times like that, I need to be quiet... and every time our Lord provides the precise wording for them. Not of my doing but of the Holy Spirit. I get so excited when the Holy Spirit is at work!
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
but he who restrains his lips is wise.
Proverbs 10:19
Guarding our tongues when we are angry makes total sense. We are carefully taught tools that will help us "choke" down the anger within. There was a time before the word of God began working in me, that anger would become rage... rage would begin seeping out in little remarks and then explode during the smallest of situations.
Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
James 1:19
I have no power of restraint if I am not in His word daily. I now know that I must be on guard over my emotions... guiding my thoughts into His hands. Taking time to walk away and get His timing, with His words, in order to share my emotion of betrayal, resentment, humiliation, or frustration. Almost all of the time, I have to ask our Lord to protect my mind, my heart, and my soul from any of the negative taking root with in me. It is at these times I am weak, literally drained from the energy it takes to keep still. It no longer matters why this is so difficult... what matters is that if I didn't place myself in humility before our Lord... I would miss His merciful grace.
Thus says the LORD,
Let not a wise man boast of his
wisdom,
and let not the mighty man boast of his might,
let not a rich
man boast of his riches;
but
let him who boasts boast of this,
that he understands and knows Me,
that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice and
righteousness on earth;
for I delight in these things, declares the
LORD.…
Jeremiah 9:23
Now that I am getting closer to retirement, I am struggling with the boldness of aging. Saged wisdom is in listening. Having the "answer" comes from walking out this life, and yet... it doesn't always need to be shared. Even if someone is asking for your insights... when is the proper time to share it? According to Jeremiah, boasting in our Lord is about the only time we should be giving wisdom away. Helping someone in need is the service of listening with compassion and waiting on the Lord to guide the works of your hands (our words). Teaching should be providing techniques, moments of discovery, and tools for getting knowledge. Being a sage on the side... means watching and listening for the right moments to guide others forward. Although knowing all of this... doesn't always curb my excitement to take over conversations... for that failing I remain humbled and always seeking forgiveness.
My Lord, grant me the wisdom and strength in knowing
when to speak and when to listen....
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