Keeping Your Mouth Shut

is at times better than speaking…

'I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.” ' Psalms 39:1

there are a number of people who have been attributed to the following quote, because there is no absolute author, i simply post it for reference:

It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it

similarly, from proverbs 17:28:

even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent (nlt)

Even fools seem smart when they are quiet (cev)

it isn’t clear what david was referring to on why he had to be ‘silent’; it could be that he didn’t want to provoke the people (ungodly) around him by saying something stupid, mean, or other, causing them to be offended or that it would lead david to feel ashamed/embarrassed.

this is one of those lessons that i wish i had learned early on in life, even sometimes now. while i’m much more aware of what i say, how i say it, and the action behind what is said, from time to time my mouth pops off and it leads to unwanted and unnecessary grief.

in conversations that don’t require me to speak, i just need to hold my tongue. when no one asks for my opinion, and when i recognize it would be a lost cause to do so - i will shut my mouth. when i doubt, simply decline or ask a questions instead, hoping that someone else will answer and take the burden off of me to say something.

Father God, help me to stay quiet when it is prudent. to not feel the need to jump into a conversation that doesn’t need my input, even if i’m asked to. teach me to politely decline and exit when there is no benefit to all who are listening. thank you for teaching me this lesson, please help me to apply this lesson to life. in Jesus’ name i pray, amen!