Notes of Faith December 1, 2020
A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.
Proverbs 29:11
I remember reading about a New Jersey teen, Brett Banfe, who embarked on a yearlong vow of silence. He and his friends wondered what it would be like not so speak for an entire day, and Brett decided to extend the experiment to an entire year. He figured out a way to communicate sparingly with a few electronic gadgets and assuming the reports are true – he made it, breaking his silence with a Shakespeare quote at a scheduled press conference (followed by twenty minutes of non-stop talking)! You can be sure it wasn’t easy. In fact, after reading about Brett’s feat, I decided to take a vow of silence myself – for forty hours. (I was alone the whole time, though I confess to talking to myself a couple of times!)
Reminds me of the monk who joined a monastery where he was allowed to say only two words every ten years. At the end of the first ten years, he exclaimed, “Bed hard!” After the second ten years, he declared, “Food bad!” Finally, ten years later, he blurted out, “I quit!” To which his superior responded, “I’m not surprised. All he did for the past thirty years was complain!”
Holding our tongues is no small challenge. We so easily say whatever comes into our heads, spewing out everything we think or feel. We feel justified in expressing our opinions, in venting our frustration or anger or discouragement or . . . But according to God’s Word, spouting off whatever one thinks or feels is a characteristic of a fool.
Proverbs 10 puts it this way: “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” (verse 19). Of course, no amount of self-effort is sufficient to restrain our words. We need the indwelling power of the Spirit to rein in our hearts, our thoughts, and our tongues.
Ask the Spirit to put a “governor” on your tongue today, and to enable you to speak only words that reflect the heart of Christ. If you feel the need to “vent,” tell the Lord what’s on your mind, rather than blurting it out to others.
Pastor Dale