If you’ve got nothing to say, you’d better listen to the question again.
Have you ever gotten “the silent treatment”? What about giving “the silent treatment”?
If you answer “Yes” to either one of those questions, you probably know that it’s not a pleasant situation. Why? Because verbal communication is one of the most accurate avenues we have to develop and maintain healthy relationships. Some would argue that it’s the most accurate way but that’s open to discussion and beyond the scope of this post. (Thank goodness)
What about “If you’ve got something to say, just say it!”? Here, the listener is imploring you to say what’s on your mind. Why? Because no one is a mind-reader. Some might think they can or you might know someone who you believe can read your mind but we’re keeping it real in the Tiny Words. Big Life. blogosphere.
Personally, I sometimes have difficulty expressing my message in words. (Writing is much easier.) This is probably due to some wacky emotional thing I’ve got going on inside my head but that again, is a subject for another day (and perhaps a shrink). The point here is, in spite of having difficulty getting words out, for whatever reason, it’s best if you go ahead and say them.
I have an old friend whose Mom was famous for saying, “Throw it on the table and chop it up!” What she meant was “go ahead and say it–then we’ll deal with it.” I’ve always admired that.
In today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. Bible verse, we find the apostle Paul in a conversation with God. As we know, God does not use unnecessary words and His messages are all very direct and to the point. So, let’s break it down.
“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” To me, that says it all. The Lord is encouraging him to speak and not be scared about doing so. Why? Because the people NEED TO HEAR IT.
So often, our mouths remain closed because we feel that we know what’s better for the listener than they do. We’re concerned how they’ll feel or whether or not they really need to hear it. In a lot of cases, that’s us justifying our fear of speaking and convincing ourselves that it would be bad for them. Really?
Today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. recommendation is to speak freely. I suppose it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, that your words have to be truthful. If you’re lying, all bets are off. This doesn’t apply to you.
God tells us that he will take care of the listener’s ears. He tells us to speak the truth and let the words, with His Holy Spirit, do their thing.
Do not be afraid.
“Throw it on the table and chop it up.”
Acts 18 : 9 – 10
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”