May 25, 2018

SLOW TO SPEAK

Sirach 20:5-7

There is a man who is silent but is found to be wise,
And there is a man who is hateful because he talks too much.
There is a man who is silent because he has no answer,
And there is a man who is silent because he knows when to speak.
A wise man will keep silent until it is the right time to speak,
But an arrogant and undiscerning man will speak out of turn.

Personal Challenge

I guess this is another way of saying, "Silence is golden." There is wisdom to be found in being silent, to listen more than we speak, and to listen before we speak. I know that my personal challenge is to let the other person finish before I speak. When this passage states that a wise man will keep silent until it is the right time to speak, but an arrogant and undiscerning man will speak out of turn cuts deep to the core of this issue. To love my neighbor means to put them first, to let them speak and complete their thoughts, to listen with the intent to understand the other, and speak lovingly when it is my turn. For all whom I have spoken over in my haste to be heard, please forgive me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!