A Time to Speak And A Time To Be Silent

“A time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). 

In Ecclesiastes we read about the right time and the wrong time to do something.  There is a right and a wrong time for everything and that includes with our words. 

This was recently tested in a situation involving my youngest son.  He was in a very unfair and unjust situation.  My normal response would have been to speak up.  I wanted to speak up.  I wanted to make things right.  Yet for some reason, I felt like the Lord wanted me to keep silent. 

As I watched my son endure some difficult moments throughout the course of this particular situation it took everything I had to not speak up.  I kept trying to encourage him.  Yet he was looking for me to do what I had always done, solve the problem.  I kept telling him to give it to God and it would work out in the end.

As we neared the end of this situation, it looked like it wouldn’t end well.  Yet in a last minute turn of events, it completely changed.  Suddenly it felt like all that had been wrong had been made right.  I was absolutely amazed and joyful about the outcome. 

It was just a couple of days later that I was reading from Ephesians.  A verse that I have read a number of times suddenly shone like a neon light.  It was from Ephesians 4:29.  The key part about this verse is how no unwholesome word should proceed from our mouths but only what is good for edification.  That’s the part I know well.  But it continued into something I had never really noticed before. 

It goes on to say, “according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”  Here is what stood out to me, according to the need of the moment.  Just like the verse from Ecclesiastes, there is a time to be speak and a time to be silent, there is a moment in which we have to carefully weigh what—if anything—we are going to say. 

If you ever struggle with speaking up, speaking out or speaking at all, ask yourself if it would be fitting or appropriate according to the need of the moment.  This can help guard what comes out of your mouth.