Know when to be quiet

Memory Verse: 1 Thessalonians 4: 11 – “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you”

The Word for Today devotional by United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) says

Dr Joe R. Brown of Rochester, Minnesota, tells of the frustration he encountered while trying to take a physical history on a patient.

The man’s wife kept answering every question. Finally, Dr Brown requested that she leave the room. But after she left he discovered that her husband couldn’t speak. Calling the wife back, Dr Brown apologised for not realising the man had aphasia - loss of speech - and could not speak a word.

The wife was even more astonished - because she did not know either! The Bible says there’s ‘a time to be silent and a time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:7 NIV 2011 Edition). Why? Because communicating too little can destroy a relationship, and so can talking too much.

Sometimes we talk because we are lonely and have few opportunities to speak to others; other times it is because we love the sound of our own voice. Whatever your motivation, excessive talking can hurt you.

That is why Paul writes, ‘Study to be quiet’. To ‘study’ implies striving or intense effort. And if you have a ‘motor mouth’ it’ll take intense effort and discipline to overcome this entrenched habit. It is a good idea to say less than you know; sometimes your power in a situation comes from silence, not words.

Anxious people tend to blabber on, and when you are negotiating that can put you at a distinct disadvantage because it tips the other person off that you are insecure. When Jesus stood before Pilate to be judged, ‘He opened not His mouth’ (Isaiah 53:7 NKJV).

Why? Because Jesus was not on trial - Pilate was! And Jesus knew it. Here’s the bottom line: You usually learn more by listening - so don’t talk too much!