When should you give unsolicited advice or stand up and speak up? Is there a time to speak and a time to be silent? Solomon said there was. (Ecclesiastes 3:7)
So when do you speak? How? Should it be privately or publicly? How often should you speak up or should you only ask questions and listen?
Job, in his misery, had three so-called friends visit him with advice that was completely wrong. Later, God corrected what all of them were saying, including Job.
One time, Elihu (Job’s friend) said: “Listen to me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said for God.” (Job 36:2 NCV) He was on a roll.
Many of us just love to talk - and for all sorts of reasons.
The truth is, most of us love to talk and express our knowledge. It makes us feel productive and important.
Yet there is a time to be quiet. Solomon once said “Even fools seem to be wise if they keep quiet; if they don’t speak, they appear to understand.” (Proverbs 17:28 NCV)
He also said “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; defend the rights of all those who have nothing.” (Proverbs 31:8 NCV)
The Apostle Paul told the Ephesians “When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you.” (Ephesians 4:29 NCV)
The Apostle James said “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” (James 1:19 NIV)
Solomon said “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.” (Proverbs 27:17 NCV)
In short, there is so much biblical counsel on speaking. We should be informed of it.
The key foundation is love. If you can’t truly love, you have no business correcting, counseling and advising. The love muscle should be the largest muscle in our body. If it its, you can be well equipped to provide tough love in a nice way.
With all of this caution, please know there is a time to speak. However it requires hitting the pause button, pressing the love button and praying over what you think you need to say prior to speaking. That said, The Apostle Paul told the Galatians:
“Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be tempted to sin, too.” (Galatians 6:1 NCV)
Do you know why Paul said “those who are spiritual” should be the ones to speak up? Those are the ones to provide the right kind of love, the best biblical counsel and the love to continue to follow up - whether the counseled followed your advice or not.
There is nothing like the loving concern, care and counsel of those who really care about you.
LORD, please give us discernment as to when to speak or not. And on those occasions that we are lead by you to speak, please give us the attitude, the love and the right words. IJNIP amen ♥️
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