The power of silence means we think before we speak
Is the “Power of Silence” a mystery to you?
Are you someone who always feels the need to fill air time with gibberish?
I was recently headed to a meeting where I had preoccupied my mind with worry about how it would go.
Who would attend?
How would I act?
And most importantly—what would I say?
On the way to that meeting, I happened to glance up at a billboard that read “Never underestimate the power of silence.”
Thankfully, that motto replayed in my mind when small talk with colleagues didn’t seem to fit the bill.
What would have been awkward moments of silence for me, turned into powerful moments of keeping my mouth shut.
When will silence serve you better?
Sometimes we try really hard to find the words to say. Then we fall flat on our face because the words don’t come out as smoothly as planned.
Those moments where we feel pressured to think fast and speak clear, are often opportunities to let silence serve us better.
In times of tragedy or great joy, our first reflex is to spout the cliché that comes to our mind the quickest.
Even a fool can seem intelligent if he will just keep his mouth shut. Proverbs 17:28.
That’s pretty comforting, to know that saying the right thing may not be as powerful as saying nothing at all.
The power of silence doesn’t mean ignoring others
Sometimes when we meet someone new, our mind may start racing with things we could say to them. We may contemplate how to approach them so they feel more comfortable around us.
The task may seem so daunting that not only do we say nothing at all, but we divert our eyes.
We may even go out of our way not to cross their path for fear that we’ll say the wrong thing.
It could be that a friend is experiencing a difficult trial and we find ourselves at a loss for words.
However, the emphasis in Proverbs about the power of silence, does not give us an excuse to gravitate toward the opposite extreme. We should still reach out to those who are hurting, rejoicing or simply indifferent.
But if we truly can’t think of what to say or how to say it—don’t let your silence be mistaken for aloofness, rudeness or lack of compassion.
Make eye contact and give a friendly smile. That can go a long way too.
LoveLifeLinks.com hopes you find comfort in the awkward moments of powerful silence.
Remember, you can feel love. Anywhere. Anytime. All the time.
