Reason #751
We headed out on the first annual Davis Valentine's/President's Day weekend trip today. Thanks to the federal holiday calendar, I have Monday off so we decided to use it as an excuse to get out of town. I am always up for traveling as I think that some of the best memories come from vacations. I'm sure this one will have plenty to remember.
This week has been kind of crazy and pretty busy, and so I've really been looking forward to going out of town. Honestly, I have found that I sleep better when we're away from home because we book rooms with king sized beds and the room A/C provides the perfect amount of noise to help me fall asleep. And so, one of the things I am most excited about is actually getting to sleep late and sleep well.
As you know, I'm right in the middle of a bible study about communication. Wednesday night, I got home from the study and Aaron asked how it went. Each week is really different. Some are convicting, some are refreshing, some are encouraging, but this one was informative. The author used castles and fortified cities as her analogies and one of the comments she made is that a battle can only exist as long as both sides are willing to fight.
Woah.
I guess I never thought of it this way. The truth is, we play to win in everything and I never realized that a battle can't be one-sided. After all, how can you be attacked if you aren't putting up defenses? And how can you wound if you aren't attacking? When we stop engaging in battle, when we lay down our weapons and refused to pick them up, the fight is over. Sure, a lot of different outcomes can happen from there, but the battle always ends when one side has decided they will no longer participate.
The same goes with our words. Because it's up to us whether or not we say them. It's up to us whether or not we participate, battle, challenge, or rebuke. Our word choice is our decision. No one makes us communicate the way we do. They may make us feel a certain way, but we decide what words actually exit our mouth. And, we are the ones who will be held responsible for what we say.
And so, sometimes, maybe we just need to say nothing at all. Even if we want to, even if we feel we have the right to, we don't. Because arguments can't last very long if only one person argues. Gossip and slander only last as long as they are being passed on. And although it's really hard to keep it in, although it's hard not to spew our opinions or shout out accusations, maybe it's the key to peace. Because maybe, sometimes, silence is a form of grace. Maybe saying less is really the best way to show someone love rather than telling them everything you think. And even when you're completely entitled, or completely tempted, to speak your mind, maybe it's grace that's telling you to just keep it to yourself.
"He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth." - Isaiah 53:7
If anyone had a right to say something, to say a lot, actually, it was Him. I can only imagine the words that filled His head as He walked toward the cross. I can only imagine how much He wanted to speak His mind. But He didn't. He walked in silence, in grace, because He knew the best thing to say was to say nothing at all.
Our words can start battles, our words can end battles. And really, if you ask me, sometimes the less we say, the more of an impact we can have.
#751 - For the grace He showed in His silence.
"When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies." - Jeremiah 15:16
This week has been kind of crazy and pretty busy, and so I've really been looking forward to going out of town. Honestly, I have found that I sleep better when we're away from home because we book rooms with king sized beds and the room A/C provides the perfect amount of noise to help me fall asleep. And so, one of the things I am most excited about is actually getting to sleep late and sleep well.
As you know, I'm right in the middle of a bible study about communication. Wednesday night, I got home from the study and Aaron asked how it went. Each week is really different. Some are convicting, some are refreshing, some are encouraging, but this one was informative. The author used castles and fortified cities as her analogies and one of the comments she made is that a battle can only exist as long as both sides are willing to fight.
Woah.
I guess I never thought of it this way. The truth is, we play to win in everything and I never realized that a battle can't be one-sided. After all, how can you be attacked if you aren't putting up defenses? And how can you wound if you aren't attacking? When we stop engaging in battle, when we lay down our weapons and refused to pick them up, the fight is over. Sure, a lot of different outcomes can happen from there, but the battle always ends when one side has decided they will no longer participate.
The same goes with our words. Because it's up to us whether or not we say them. It's up to us whether or not we participate, battle, challenge, or rebuke. Our word choice is our decision. No one makes us communicate the way we do. They may make us feel a certain way, but we decide what words actually exit our mouth. And, we are the ones who will be held responsible for what we say.
And so, sometimes, maybe we just need to say nothing at all. Even if we want to, even if we feel we have the right to, we don't. Because arguments can't last very long if only one person argues. Gossip and slander only last as long as they are being passed on. And although it's really hard to keep it in, although it's hard not to spew our opinions or shout out accusations, maybe it's the key to peace. Because maybe, sometimes, silence is a form of grace. Maybe saying less is really the best way to show someone love rather than telling them everything you think. And even when you're completely entitled, or completely tempted, to speak your mind, maybe it's grace that's telling you to just keep it to yourself.
"He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth." - Isaiah 53:7
If anyone had a right to say something, to say a lot, actually, it was Him. I can only imagine the words that filled His head as He walked toward the cross. I can only imagine how much He wanted to speak His mind. But He didn't. He walked in silence, in grace, because He knew the best thing to say was to say nothing at all.
Our words can start battles, our words can end battles. And really, if you ask me, sometimes the less we say, the more of an impact we can have.
#751 - For the grace He showed in His silence.
"When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies." - Jeremiah 15:16