“If only you would shut up and let that be your wisdom!” 13:5
Job speaks these words to his friends who give uninformed and unhelpful advice. Instead, he wants to speak for himself and he wants to speak to God, not them. As I read these words, I realize the sage advice in them. We used to say, “If you don’t have anything good to say, then say nothing at all.” Sometimes knowing when to speak and when not to is the real wisdom. We are often uncomfortable with silence and we feel like we need to fill the void with words… but sometimes, shutting up is the wisest thing we can do. When I consider all the times I choose to speak when I really should be silent, it helps me see just how little wisdom I have. 😊 Oh, how I wish I could learn the art of keeping my mouth shut! God help me with that!
