Knowing When to be Quiet
Devotion: Term 4, Week 4
Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth US president, was known as a reserved man who spoke very little. One day, when a reporter attempted to interview him, the conversation went like this: Reporter: ‘Do you wish to say anything about the threat of war in Europe?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Do you have anything to say about the strike in the clothing factories?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Do you have anything to say about the League of Nations?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Would you care to comment on the farm production problem?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ As the reporter was leaving the room, Coolidge unexpectedly called him back and said with a smile, ‘Don’t quote me!’
The Bible says, ‘For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. … A time to be quiet and a time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7 NLT). Never allow yourself to be pressured into saying something you don’t want to say or get drawn in when you don’t feel like talking. Silence isn’t a lack of communication; it’s a form of communication and can be a very effective one! Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV) says, ‘A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.’ One thing is for sure, what you don’t say today, you won’t have to explain or apologise for tomorrow. If your tendency is to speak without thinking, or when you have nothing constructive to add, weigh the situation carefully and ask God for wisdom before deciding if you should speak or be quiet. Remember: ‘Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.’ (Proverbs 17:28 NKJV).
SoulFood: Isa 1-3 John 5:16-30 Ps 15 Pro 27:10-12
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
Other Devotions
Devotion – Knowing When to be Quite
Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth US president, was known as a reserved man who spoke very little. One day, when a reporter attempted to interview him, the conversation went like this: Reporter: ‘Do you wish to say anything about the threat of war in Europe?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Do you have anything to say about the strike in the clothing factories?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Do you have anything to say about the League of Nations?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Would you care to comment on the farm production problem?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ As the reporter was leaving the room, Coolidge unexpectedly called him back and said with a smile, ‘Don’t quote me!’
The Bible says, ‘For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. … A time to be quiet and a time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7 NLT). Never allow yourself to be pressured into saying something you don’t want to say or get drawn in when you don’t feel like talking. Silence isn’t a lack of communication; it’s a form of communication and can be a very effective one! Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV) says, ‘A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.’ One thing is for sure, what you don’t say today, you won’t have to explain or apologise for tomorrow. If your tendency is to speak without thinking, or when you have nothing constructive to add, weigh the situation carefully and ask God for wisdom before deciding if you should speak or be quiet. Remember: ‘Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.’ (Proverbs 17:28 NKJV).
SoulFood: Isa 1-3 John 5:16-30 Ps 15 Pro 27:10-12
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
Devotion – Be Present in the Moment
One author writes: ‘One of the strategies I employ is to block enough time so that I’m not thinking of what I have to do next. I find it best to wait until I can invest more than a few minutes in being with someone so that the person is not frustrated with my divided attention and tight schedule.’ If you keep robbing your loved ones of time, there may come a day when they have no time for you. Ask yourself, ‘Is this person worth more to me than the plan, project, problem, or pressure I’m dealing with?’
Devotion – Are You a True Friend?
Two men were travelling down the road together when a bear appeared out of nowhere. Before the bear could spot them, one guy ran for a tree at the side of the road, climbed into its branches, and hid. The other man, who wasn’t as nimble as his tree-climbing companion, threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead. The bear came up, sniffed all around him, and appeared to whisper something in his ear. The man had always heard that bears won’t touch a dead body, so he lay perfectly still and held his breath. Sure enough, the bear took him for a corpse and left. When the coast was clear, the man in the tree came down. Curious, he asked….