Be silent... or speak?

There's this sentence: 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'? Not necessarily... sometimes, we must not be silent.

When we're being treated badly and take the initiative to confront the person about how they're treating us, we could turn awkwardness or nastiness into friendship. Of course, Jesus has solid advice on how to approach them (in Matthew 18:15-17). The kind of silence that we can use to get at someone, especially to score points against them, is flat-out not okay. Either we're just continuing the 'treat each other badly' standoff with that silent-treatment, or they won't even notice and carry on exactly the same. Either way: fail. Silence can also cause pain when rumours are flying about someone, or they're criticised, and we don't step up to defend them. Being nervous about coming under the spotlight isn't a good excuse for letting someone's character take a beating, whether the criticism is deserved or not.

Whether we're the sort of person who's comfortable speaking out, or less-so, when 'there is...a time to speak' (Ecclesiastes 3:7), then zipping our lips may mean missing the right thing to do. But, speaking godly truth, as lovingly as we can, in each situation, can change things massively.



So what now? Ask God to point this out to you as you skim your messages and your newsfeed: is there something, or someone, who needs you to speak up for them?





— SCRIPTURE —

'There is...a time to be silent and a time to speak.' Ecclesiastes 3:1,7 NIV
— SOULFOOD —

2 Sam 22:31-24:25, Matt 26:26-35, Ps 118:1-9, Pro 18:4-6