Proverbs 17:28
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
How many times, when finding yourself in a delicate situation have you blurted out something stupid when saying nothing at all would have been much better?
I am sure some of us are more guilty of this than others, but oftentimes the driving principle behind our stupid words and outbursts are our need to seem smart or at least intelligent in a timely situation.
We see where Peter also had this bad habit: He was once told in the transfiguration to shut up and was told that by God himself. “This is my beloved son. Hear HIM !” This was in response to Peter who had shot off at the mouth.
We can say something just as bad: A friend tells us of the death of a friend, and we respond…”Was it anything serious?”
While visiting another friend in the hospital who suffered a terrible accident…we slap our recovering friend on the leg…”My, you are extremely lucky…”
It might be similar when telling a mother who just lost a newborn baby…”You can simply have another one until you get it right…”
And while these expressions might be extreme examples I think it does pronounce the severe harm we can inflict with the sometimes painful words from our lips.
These should remind us: when faced with a tactful situation where skill and diplomacy is involved, there is but one simple rule to get it right: and it is really not all that hard or difficult and that is quite simply to Shut the Blank Up for a while and sit there and listen instead of running your mouth.
Hard Times Ministries 