"Please be quiet! That's the smartest thing you could do."

Job 13:15  “Please be quiet!  That’s the smartest thing you could do.”

Sometimes just shutting up and being quiet is the best thing we can ever do.  There are times in which to say anything just makes matters worse.  Job’s friends simply didn’t understand this simple truth.  They insisted on telling Job what he was doing wrong to cause all his troubles.  They insisted that his physical problems were caused by his spiritual problems.

Sometimes we think we know so much when in reality we know so little.  We can easily show our ignorance by opening our mouths.  We often do more harm than good when we offer advice that is misguided.  Sometimes a troubled soul just needs a listening ear.  They need others to not try to fix them, just understand them.  Sometimes we need others to just be there to show support and concern, nothing else.

We can learn much by just being quiet.  When we are quiet we can listen with our heart instead of just with our minds.  We can gain understanding what troubled souls are feeling and thinking.  We can learn how to pray for them in their troubles and then perhaps offer godly advice when it is right to do so.

If you want to be a real help to those troubled in life, learn to be quiet.  Not everyone needs your wisdom nor welcomes it.  Ask the Lord to help you bridle your tongue.  Ask Him for wisdom to know when to be silent and pray and when to offer wisdom and guidance.  Ask Him to keep your heart humble enough so that you don’t have to be the savior of troubled souls.  And, ask Him to forgive you for those times you have done more harm than good by opening your mouth instead of just being quiet and waiting on Him on behalf of others.