Busybodies and Loudmouths

"Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"---I Kings 19:11-13 (NKJV)

"If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters."---I Peter 4:14-15 (NKJV)

"Be silent with yourself.  That will induce silence with others. Do not fall into the habit of shouting, talking long or loud...Carry with you an atmosphere of quiet contemplation, wherever you happen to be.  The less you talk, the more will become your mental power.  With the increase of mental capacity, there will be increase in your power of discrimination, too.  Consequently, you will give up individual discrimination.  Because of this, you will begin to consider the good of the world at large rather than your own individual welfare.""---Sri Sathya Sai Baba

(SIDE NOTE: I'm sure there are several of my male friends who are thinking that they don't need to read this because surely it applies only to the women folk.  I say this in love, fellas: A lot of you are just as loud, just as busy and if it's the right topic, just as gossipy as any lady I know so before you forward this to your wife, girlfriend, sister or mother...KEEP READING!)

A man by the name of Frank Luntz once said something to make me think that we must be first cousins:  "I am pretty loud and outspoken---but so often subtlety, the quiet voice, actually communicates."

Say a word, say a word.

I can't tell right now who called me to it---if it was God's leading or just my "I'm tired of talking right now" emotional state---but I am currently on a phone sabbatical.  I don't know.  One day, I woke up and decided, "You know what?  I pay the bill so I have the right to decide if I want to answer or not."  And right now, I just don't want to.

It's amazing how loudly silence speaks when you actually listen to it.  Suddenly you hear things in ways you never have before.  Sure that includes the chirping of birds and the creaks in the house, but what I am most referring to is what you hear within and/or about yourself.  It's interesting, but with all of the devotional writing and biblical research that I do, I've never really made it a point to look up what the Word says about silence and/or quietness---until now.

"{There is] a time to keep silence and a time to speak."---Ecclesiastes 3:7 (AMP)

"Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools."---Ecclesiastes 9:17(AMP)

"He who belittles and despises his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding keeps silent."-Proverbs 11:12(AMP)

"Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife."---Proverbs 17:1 (NKJV)

"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength."---Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV)

"The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever."---Isaiah 32:17 (NKJV)

"It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."---Lamentations 3:26(NKJV)

"But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."---I Thessalonians 4:10-12 (NKJV)

"[Ladies] Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."---I Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV)

Now before I proceed, let's stop here for just a moment.  "Quiet" and "sneaky" or "quiet" and "non-convicted" are not the same thing.  I know many a people whose voices may not carry in a room, but their motives and agendas speak loud and clear.  I also know many people who speak barely above a whisper but the words that they do say tend to be very "lukewarm" and "middle of the road" in the effort to please everyone around them.  No, the kind of quiet that the Bible is speaking of are those who are "restrained in speech, manner"; "free from disturbance or tumult; tranquil; peaceful"; "free from disturbing thoughts, emotions, etc.; mentally peaceful"; "said, expressed, done, etc., in a restrained or unobtrusive way"; "not showy or obtrusive"; "calm"; "characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity"; "an untroubled state" and "to make calm or still".

I've been honest with myself about how far from some of these definitions several areas of my life tend to be.  Why don't you take this time to do the same self-evaluation?  If you died today, could people say that you were restrained in your speech?  That you weren't obtrusive?  That when you came around, they felt calm?  If you knew that you were going to die today, could you say that you did so free from disturbing thoughts?  That you were absent of agitation?  That you were in an untroubled state?

If you can say "yes" to all of this, my hats off to you because what I am coming to see in my newly discovered desire for this quiet frame of mind is that like being "holy", "good", "righteous" or any other godly virtue, it's a process; it's something that I have to pursue on a daily, hourly, moment-by-moment basis.

"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength."

Quiet strength.  See, the thing that I am coming to acknowledge and accept is that in being quiet, strength is often found.  Now, don't get it twisted.  As I was doing my Bible study this morning, I realized once again why God calls us to study to show ourselves approved (II Timothy 2:15---AMP).  For years, I heard that God speaks in a still, small voice almost as if to imply that he never raises it.  Are you serious?  There's no way that could be possible.  When I read the Old Testament accounts of him using his audible voice, let's just say that I believe he left quiet an impression.  I also believe that because Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a "time and a place" for so many things and because our voices have such a wide range (in both tone and volume), that means there is a time for us to speak up and out.

But what I do love about the account that Elijah had with God is that it shows that God doesn't need to yell or scream to be heard or to make his presence felt.  No matter what calamity is going on, to those who choose to listen, his presence, his instruction, his guidance can be found.

Some of us just lost our job and we're watching every talk show, TBN program and gospel radio station looking for some direction.

Some of us are struggling with a family issue and we are calling every counselor, pastor, lawyer we know.

Some of us just ended a relationship and we are going to every chick flick and calling every girlfriend on our speed dial.

In short, some of us ---if not all of us----are going through something and because we have been in loud and combative environments for so long (whether it's America, our jobs, our churches, our schools or our homes), we feel that the only way a resolve can come is if we are always talking, always moving.  So what the Word says that we are to be still and know who God is (Psalm 46:10)?  Surely we must SAY AND/OR DO SOMETHING!

It was a real wake-up call for me to notice that when the Word warns against being a busybody, it said that the consequence of doing so was suffering (check the second lead scripture for today again).  Now, most of us know that the traditional definition of a busybody is someone who meddles in the affairs of others, but what this showed me was that if I was bought with a price and am not my own (I Corinthians 6:19, 20), then that means I can also have the huge propensity to be a meddler in my own life as well.  In other words, sometimes I suffer unnecessarily because I am so BUSY talking and doing that I am not giving God the respect, space and time that he needs/wants/desires/decides to bring his plans for my life into fruition and because of this, I suffer (undergo or feel pain or distress).

Oh how the Enemy has misconstrued so many things.  For instance, two things that God has called wives to be is submissive and to have a quiet spirit (Colossians 3:18, I Peter 3:3,4).  Does submission imply a lack of power?  Nope.  It just means that she restrains it.  I mean, if she didn't have any, what would she need to yield?  In the same way, does a quiet spirit mean that she doesn't deserve to be heard?  Nope.  If she works towards having a quiet spirit it just means that she's aware that with it comes mental peace and tranquility for herself, and according to the Bible, in time also her husband due to the POWER of her example (and single ladies, life as a wife will be a lot easier for you if you learn these lessons now).

It takes being still and shutting up to even get a hold of precious revelations like these.  The Enemy knows that, which is why he is always encouraging us to call somebody, go somewhere, do something.  As a result, some of us are so busy talking that we aren't really saying anything or in the wise words of Thomas Leonard, in all of our doing, we've confused movement with progress.

As we come to the end of another week (I mean, really, where is this year going?!?), ask God to show you if you are a busybody or loudmouth.  Then get STILL and QUIET.  The answer and the revelations that you get about your situation as a direct result just may surprise---and redirect you.

©Shellie R. Warren/2007