Better to Keep Quiet…

I’m back!! First, let me apologize for not doing a post last week. I normally schedule out several posts and usually take Sunday evening to fine tune before scheduling a blog. However, I was walking through something last week and didn’t have a peace about what to post. I was dealing with my emotions and everything I typed felt impure and I felt my flesh wanting to insert way too much of my opinion and pick out scriptures to “prove” and support my opinion. I quickly decided that nothing good was going to come until my heart was pure in what I was writing…so I wrote nothing.

I listened to a message several years ago from Charlotte Gambill and she talked about how she was furious with one of her volunteer teams at church because they were not showing up on time to serve. Her father, Paul Scanlon, had given her the opportunity to speak in the main service that weekend and when he asked her what she was going to preach on she unloaded and shared how she was going to preach on being committed, being on time and serving God’s house (I’m paraphrasing of course). He then told her that she would not be speaking that weekend because he would not allow her to use the platform to communicate her frustrations with her team. That message had a huge impact on me and I truly believe he did the right thing. You see no matter how small or large your influence is, if you do not steward it well, you will lose it. Our opinions pale in comparison to the truth of God’s word. His word doesn’t need our words…it stands alone.

I wanted to pick out scriptures, like the chocolate out of trail mix, and use it serve up and support my opinions. No matter what my motive, it was simply impure. I wish I could say I never make this mistake in asserting my opinion when I shouldn’t…but that, my friend, would be a lie. I try really hard to catch myself and sometimes I do but sometimes I don’t. When I don’t, God’s grace covers it as I own up to it, repent and redirect my thoughts, actions and words.

Regardless of what we face and are forced to walk through, God is bigger! His word is perfect and it is true. He certainly doesn’t need our opinions blasted everywhere in order to convince Him to move. He moves in His time and in His way. My heart is to serve him, to become more like Him and allow Him to cleanse the impurities of my heart that are inevitably going to surface. I am flawed and I make mistakes but He…oh He is perfect!

Lord, forgive us when we don’t trust you enough to believe that you have every aspect of our life in your hands. Help us not to trust too much in our own opinions, thoughts and ways. Helps us to put our faith fully in you, even when we can’t see or understand. And Lord, helps us to realize that at times, it is better to keep quiet than to speak and cause damage.