Oftentimes, silence is valorous...
Have you ever seen the time where there was much you COULD
say, but your spirit knew there wasn't a lot you SHOULD say? I have! I have
failed in some of those moments and I have succeeded in a few. I want greater
and more frequent successes.
The Proverb writer says, "A dishonest man spreads
strife, and a whisperer separates close friends." (Proverbs 16:28
ESV)
The word "dishonest" could easily be translated
"perverse" or "contrary."
Now, consider...
A perverse person is anyone interested in something besides
truth and righteousness. We easily can be strife-spreaders simply by not being
committed to truth and righteousness! Wow!
A contrary person is someone who isn't interested in living
by truth and righteousness. See that? Same as above!
Our words and actions must be driven by truth and
righteousness or we run the risk of being strife-spreaders.
Secondly, the word "whisperer" can be translated
as "gossip." A gossip can come between friends. Listen to me, a
person that will gossip about other folks to you will gossip about you to other
folks. The same can be said of self, if we will gossip to a friend, we will
gossip about a friend. And, once we've seeded a thought, or received a thought
seed, it hard to uproot it. It's there, and our view of someone is then shaded.
Y'all know that's true!
Sometimes, no often, our best and bravest thing to do is say
nothing. If we cannot speak with truth, righteousness and edification, then
maybe we ought to just hush.
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