“Watch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.” Proverbs 21:23 (MSG).
We have all been misunderstood. We get frustrated by wrong judgments and decisions based on wrong information. Yet often, these moments are some of our most defining, not because of what was said, but because of our response. I was told a few days ago I drive like a “moron” because I stuck to the speed limit. I was tempted to waste my time with a response, but I refrained.
Jesus never wasted words on worthless arguments. When His disciples were rejected, He told them to stay silent and move on. Jesus taught them to save the fight for what matters and leave conversations that will never further His kingdom. The hardest time to be quiet is when you have every reason to have your say. But think of it this way; will my response heal or hurt this situation? Will it make the situation better? Who’s in charge of my response right now, my anger or my faith?
As hard as it can be, sometimes the best response is no response. Just let it go. Trust God instead of stress. Save your words for those who will hear your heart and see what’s true. Don’t allow a wrong judgment to drive you to justify yourself. Instead, continue to be a blessing. Show kindness, be gracious, forgive, respect others and love like nobody is watching. And remember…you can trust His word, no matter what…
When He says to watch your tongue…He knows it’s best for you! He loves you too much to let you go down that road of grief!
(Additional Scriptures: Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 17:27-28, Proverbs 12:13, James 1:26, Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 18:21, James 3:2-13).
