It Takes Boldness to be Quiet

1 Thessalonians 4:11a 
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.

I read this verse today in Fiercehearted by Holley Gerth and fell in love!

I am NOT an extrovert.  As a matter of fact, I really don’t like crowds or parties.  I panic when I have to meet new people or go to a new place. I think that is why I love to read and write so much.  I get to lose myself in the pages.

So, when I read this verse I immediately thought, yep that is me!  I can do this verse with no problem! 1 out of 31,102 verses I can safely check off my to-do list! This one is a slam dunk to-done!

Then I started to think of all the verses that say we much be bold or strong. 

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Well, how in the world am I suppose to be be bold and strong while being quiet? Then the Holy Spirit kind of poked me and replied, “Don’t you know just how hard it is to be quiet? How much strength and boldness it takes?”

That is when I read the second part of the verse.

You should mind your own business!

Oops! Ouch! I have to have the strength and boldness to stay out of other people’s business in order to live a quiet life. Yes, that means learning to hold my tongue.

Proverbs 21:23
Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.

Now, I wouldn’t call myself a busy body, but I certainly have my opinions and sometimes they escape my mouth. I am always battling to take captive every thought.

2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The place I find it the hardest to hold my tongue is in text form.  Facebook, Instagram, Emails and even text messages.  I can be a little too quick to open my mouth (or fingers). I am learning to weigh my answers.

Proverbs 15:28
The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

So, maybe I am not quite ready to check that verse off my list.  Maybe I need to work on a few others along the way to help support that verse.

OK, for today, I am going to make it my ambition to live a quiet life, minding my own business (1 Thessalonians 4:11) by learning to not let any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephisians 4:29).

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