Just Be Quiet
I love when it is quiet. As a natural-born introvert, I tend to get more from personal introspection more than social interaction, so quietness is a blessing for me. My wife and my youngest son are both social butterflies, and subsequently cringe at the silence. My kids are notorious for blurting out the most random things, for the sake of breaking the muted barrier. I usually find myself saying to them, “You don’t have to talk; you can just sit quietly.”
This is the same thing I want to tell you. Silence is a discipline. From the day we’re born, we are invited to speak. As we grow older, silence is an indicator of anger, sadness, and even depression, so people tend to just keep talking. Now we have social media, that continuously fills the air with noise. However, here are 5 circumstances in which it is best to just be quiet:
You don’t always have to explain yourself. We are all individuals, and none of us are the same. Being your own person add variety to our world, adding an interesting tapestry, as opposed to a boring blanket. If there are people who don’t understand your individuality, you are not required to explain it to them. Being who you are doesn’t demand a defence. So stop explaining yourself to people, especially those who don’t ask.
You don’t have to defend (proper) relationships. Every person chooses their own relationships and the dynamics thereof. You are free to like who you like, and spend time with whomever you desire. No relationship, that is proper in nature, ever has to be defended to anyone; and anyone who tries to require you to, is completely out-of-order. Make up your own mind, as it relates to your relationships.
You don’t have to tell your next move. There are people who place themselves in your circle for the sole purpose of getting your ideas. God has given you innovative ideas, and specific directions for your life as a gift. Many people give these gifts away, just by talking too much. Everyone can’t know your next move, because there are plenty of people who will try to beat you to the punch.
You don’t have to share your dreams. People can be dream killers; stripping you of your destiny, even before you’re able to pursue it. There are more people who will talk you out of your dreams, than there are those who will push you into them. The details of your dreams are only reserved for those who can help you reach them.
You don’t have to reveal all that you know. For some of us, all one has to do is mention a subject and we will tell you everything we know about it. The problem with that is, many of us have bad information, and the only thing we reveal is our ignorance. Listen more than you speak and you may discover that you really didn’t know anything at all.
“(There is) a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiasties 3:7b, New International Version).
© 2016 Derek J. Murphy Enterprises, and I AM KINGDOM Publishing, All Rights Reserved
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