I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.” (Psalm 39:1)
There are people who feel that silence is something to be filled with words; and then there are those who consider silence to be a virtue. The wisest of men wrote that there is indeed “a time to keep silence and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). The wise are those who are able to discern when it is appropriate to speak and when it is best to remain silent. One writer said that, “Silence is a pause, an inwardness, a bulwark against the ceaseless noise of the world.” And if we pause long enough to hear our own thoughts — thoughts that are hopefully inspired by God’s Word — when do we speak, the words will not condemn us.
David understood the value of silence in certain situations because, just like anyone else, he knew he had the potential to sin with his tongue. Speaking too soon or too much has the potential to complicate our life. This is especially true if we are prone to speak without consideration of who is listening — and the wicked are always looking for us to make a mistake with our tongue. As it is written, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak” (James 1:19) because the tongue has the ability to set a large forest ablaze with just a little bit of effort. In other words, its best to appreciate the value of silence and be able to hear from the Lord than it is to speak and unleash a spark that the Adversary can whip up into an inferno.
If we truly want to live in a way that reflects the character and attributes of our King, let us take a cue from Him in matters of when to speak and when not. There were times when He spoke boldly, even offensively to some degree; and there were times when He kept silent. Whatever His decision was, He first discerned the environment, His audience and the purpose to be served. So if we truly want to be disciples, then we must be disciplined; the best place to start is learning to control our tongue. This is not to say that we shouldn’t use our tongue — “My tongue shall speak of Your righteousness” (Psalm 35:28) — but is to say we should be its’ master and not the other way around.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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