Sometimes, silence isn’t weakness, it’s wisdom

This article is brought to you by Elect Lisa Washington for Howard County Commissioner District 1. As your county commissioner, I will bring transparency & accountability to local government where it is sorely lacking, ensure our county facilities & infrastructure are properly managed, meaning taxpayer dollars are used more effectively, and bridge the gap in communication between our local and state elected officials to ensure your voice is heard by everyone who represents you.

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I’m laughing as I write this because, in this day and age, social media gives us incredible access into the lives of other people. We can see what people are doing, what they’re thinking, how they feel, and, most importantly, what they think about everything. Then, with the simple touch of a button, we have the ability to respond to it all.

Pause.

Interesting, to say the least.

I’m 41 years old. I just turned 41 recently, and I’m not old by any means. But I’d like to think I’m maturing at a rate that’s somewhat on par with where I should be. Maybe I’m wrong. If you ask some people close to me, they may have a completely different opinion. But one thing I feel like I’ve always been able to do well, even though I have some pretty strong opinions about things, is keep my mouth shut.

Maybe that’s just my nature. Maybe it’s something God gave me, a gift to know when to speak and when not to. Some people might call it scary. I’d like to think of it as wisdom. And please don’t mistake that statement for thinking highly of myself. I don’t. It’s simply an observation I’ve made about myself over the years.

Sometimes the wisest thing a person can do is be quiet.

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 to “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” There is something powerful about that. Living quietly doesn’t mean you don’t care. It doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion. It doesn’t mean you aren’t paying attention. Sometimes it means you have enough wisdom to know that everything doesn’t require your response.

“Be still and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10.

There is peace in allowing God to handle circumstances that we desperately want to control. There is wisdom in quietly observing what someone else may be going through while still doing our best to offer comfort when it’s needed.

We don’t have to engage in every conversation we feel strongly about. We don’t have to respond to every post. We don’t have to prove that we’re right. Sometimes our words can add fuel to a fire that doesn’t need any more food.

Being quiet does something to the mind. It does something to the soul. Prayer in quiet places creates room for us to hear that still, small voice, the voice of God that can be difficult to recognize when we’re surrounded by noise.

So, don’t feed into the noise. Stay quiet. Sometimes silence isn’t weakness. Sometimes silence is wisdom.