Self-justification's stopper
But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Mark 14:61
Throughout the Bible, we learn that silence is golden especially when it comes to avoiding sin (Proverbs 10:19), is deemed wise and intelligent (Proverbs 17:28), and having a calm spirit (Proverbs 17:27). In addition, resisting the urge to speak in certain situations means we are exercising self-control.
However, James also points out that tongues are restless evil and hard to tame. (James 3:8) Our words can indeed reflect our hearts, especially our weaknesses. This quote I found online is particularly true: “Silence is one of the deepest disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on all self-justification.”
Few years ago, I worked for a software company and pitched to a client and tried to answer the questions while my boss listened to the call. After I thought I had done okay, my boss commented, “Don’t be a people pleaser.” Following that, he advised using more silence by listening intently to the client, and then not answering clients' questions immediately since it sounds like tossing me around, and then showed me I could regain control by pausing the conversation for a few seconds of silence, and that it worked like an anchor.
I always keep his advice on silence in mind. Nevertheless, it revealed my anxieties and the need to justify myself when talking more. In the book of Job, we see that "self-justification" is part of human behavior. There is a tendency in our flesh to avoid responsibility and not accept correction, or a desire to prove our own worth.
People can sometimes be defensive of other people's criticism, and listening to others' advice is not always easy. It takes humility to see criticism as a gift that can help us grow. Being quiet is therefore humbling since being quiet communicates that I don't want to rely on myself. Likewise, it shows our trust in God that He vindicates and that we are secure in His love and sovereignty.
Silence is a deep expression of trust and confidence in God, it keeps us close to Him, that we don't have to operate in our flesh and self-reliance, that we can invite God into our communication, giving Him peace and glory.
May we be silent so we can listen intently to the Holy Spirit in all situations so we can speak words of wisdom and blessings.
Blessing prayer: Guide us when to remain silent and when to speak. Refrain from justifying ourselves or being defensive or reactive to other people's words. In Jesus’ name, Amen
