We have the right to remain silent.

Communication has always been an interesting topic to me. Communication between business associates in Washington, communication in a sales negation, and communication in marriage and family. There is something about the art of words that has the power to bring peace or destruction to a situation. The Bible says that the power of life and death are in the tongue, and this could not be any more true in a world where communication is the standard for survival. One person put it this way, "Sometimes the best way to communicate is to sit there and keep your mouth shut." This is a hard truth and got me thinking, sometimes the best communicators do little talking and practice incredible amounts of restraint and carry an unparalleled ability to listen. Imagine how many businesses would not have been started, how many wars have have been started, and how many marriages have failed by missing the concept and the importance of silence. We look at our right to remain silent as such a bad thing because we feel like it takes away our right to speak, but is it always a bad thing to remain quiet? I'm sure we could all benefit from knowing how we can become better communicators by speaking less, am I right?

In Matthew 26 on the night of Jesus' betrayal he is brought before the Council and questioned. Now mind you up to this point Jesus just dealt with his closest friends leaving him and Judas actually betraying him, turning him over for some cold hard cash. For you or I, it goes without saying that our emotions would be running high, and it would be very hard to sit quiet while it seemed as if the world was falling down around us. To be honest sometimes I can't even lose a pair of socks without wanting to voice my frustrations about it. As Jesus stood before the council in Matthew 26:63 the Bible says Jesus remained silent. In the midst of persecution, lies, and humility, he taught a valuable lesson of keeping quiet. He knew the truth, he knew when to remain silent and he also knew why to remain silent. Isn't it incredible to think that we can learn a lifelong, pivotal lesson from just three words - JESUS REMAINED SILENT.

There is great value in learning when to keep silent. People are extremely wired with emotions (it's how we experience joy, peace, sadness, and anger) - there is no way around emotion. However sometimes we can say more by speaking less, especially when tensions are high and emotions run rampant. The key is to asking yourself with each passing thought - will my words glorify God or will they glorify myself? Much more important than winning an argument is portraying the qualities of Jesus Christ. I challenge you the next time your world feels like it's falling down to just remain silent. Know that God has a desired response from you but in the moment is not always the most opportune time to share.

God Bless.