The proverbial saying, “Silence is golden,” has been around for centuries, and remains popular to this day. It is often used in circumstances where it is thought that saying nothing is preferable to speaking. Then what is the origin of this so widely used proverb? “There are reports of versions of it dating back to Ancient Egypt. The first example of it in English is from the poet Thomas Carlyle, who translated the phrase from German in Sartor Resartus, 1831, in which a character expounds at length on the virtues of silence” (phrases.org.uk). The bottom line to this message is that listening can sometimes turn out to be much better than speaking. When we open our mouths, we should “have it all together” so that we will not do damage to someone else’s reputation.
The Word tells us much about silence. Let’s take a look at a few of these verses of Scripture from the English Standard Version (ESV):
• “It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD” (Lamentations 3:26).
• “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11).
• “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:14).
• “Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time” (Amos 5:13).
Yes, “Silence is golden.” Anything that is golden is of great value and virtue. All of us have to know when it is better to speak, but best to be quiet. Here are some things that can take place when we remain silent:
• We will carry our burdens to the Lord instead of man.
• We can hear God speaking to us.
• All of our thoughts are not meant to be told; therefore, we can differentiate between what needs to be said, and what we need to keep to ourselves.
• We avoid hurting others’ feelings.
• Our relationship with Christ will grow.
Just in case you did not know, the proverbial “Silence is golden,” has a longer version of it. “Speech is silver; silence is golden.” However, what we hear more often is the shorter version. Both versions are powerful and speak to our obedience in listening versus speaking. Always abound in the faith, and never leave home without Him!
