Malankara World Journal, Volume 5 No.300 August 17, 2015, Section x, Christian Spirituality from an Orthodox Perspective

Malankara World Journal
Volume 5 No. 300 August 17, 2015

Malankara World Journal Tri Centum Souvenir Edition (Issue 300)

Power of Words and Silence

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Value of Silence in Christian Life

By: Rev. Dn. Reeves Manikat

Dn Reeves Manikat

Sitting on the steps of the church, the monsoon rains muffling distant sounds, leaving only its pitter-patter against the shingles to soothe his ears and calm his mind. Years later sitting in the middle of traffic on a busy hot summer afternoon he yearns for the serenity those rains brought. Certain calm passes man when the bustle of everyday life passes and he is left to himself. Moments of silence we all look to and yet somehow unattainable. Most of us merely falling onto the bed weary with thoughts of the next day, plans, and events clouding our minds until sleep overcomes us.

How can man attain inner silence when his outer world is so noisy? Inner silence requires reflection, self control, and respect. Silence is attained through perseverance and humility. The constant barrage of information from unknown and unconfirmed sources misleads the common man. Words can be deceptive and the gullible easily fall to the wayside as it once happened in the Garden of Eden. Silence allows clarity of thought, steadfastness in faith, detachment from desires, and respect towards our Creator.

Clarity in mind leads to clarity in deeds and pureness in the heart. A clear, undisturbed body of water allows us to see into and understand what lies in the depths. Similarly one needs clarity of thought in order to peer into our own depths and understand ourselves in order to be able to control ourselves. Silence provides clarity and stillness. It provides an opportunity for reflection and contemplation. Silence through prayer and meditation are avenues to attain this self control necessary to still troubled waters caused by outer and inner disturbances. Self reflection is an opportunity to make meaning and form an understanding. Through this understanding of what is happening around us we can look into ourselves to grasp at how it affects us. We can further delve into our inner workings, the formation of our thoughts, and the basic ego that gives rise to these thoughts. Only by understanding our ego can we come to control it and use this control in our daily affairs. Self control is necessary to face outer and inner disturbances.

Short bouts of silence can be used to tackle daily problems and seemingly outside disturbances. Social media and sensationalism of the media has opened the gates to a flood of information. Information is passed quickly and the momentum builds rapidly. Recently a young adult was able to fabricate that he made massive earnings of $72 million via trading in the stock market. This news spread like wildfire and major news corporations quickly caught onto the hype before confirming the authenticity of the story. Similarly it is difficult to prevent a loose tongue from spreading gossip. We are taught that "a prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly" (Proverbs 12:23) and "a fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul" (Proverbs 18:7).

It is important to understand the authenticity of news and the purpose of certain words. Through prudent judgement and unbiased understanding we can prevent ourselves from being fools. Simply thinking twice about our words, situations, and reactions saves us from folly. Unruly tongues cause rifts and pain. Many times an inflammatory remark causes a knee-jerk reaction thus creating preventable rifts. A moment of silence is all that is needed to collect one's thoughts, calm nerves, create an unbiased approach, and formulate a viable solution. When a ripple forms in the water, splashing the water to rid of the ripple only creates bigger waves; however allowing for the water to settle prevents further commotion and restores serenity. Silencing the tongue is easier than silencing the yearning voice in our heads.

The traffic fortunately starts to move and at that moment a bright red sports car whizzes by with the driver basking in his glory, hair in the air and bereft of responsibilities. Looking on in earnest, the young man wishes to be as the person in the sports car. But what a folly is that thought since a man enjoying that freedom ultimately chose himself and his desires. At times we get carried away with worldly desires such as these since we are bottomless cups. In fact, we prevent ourselves from being completely detached from the world since then we lack a purpose. We all need something to look forward to. This pang of the heart cannot be soothed but an understanding on what we are supposed to look on will fill us.

It is written, "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him" Psalms 62:5. It is imperative to not get swept off our feet by the desires so seductively placed before us. There is abstract knowledge, from which arises ego, which creates thought, and forms words and actions. A person who's mind, body, and intellect are before the Lord is led by His teachings. Therefore, a person led by the Lord will not falter. But desires cause us to step away from the path laid by Him and we attempt to forge our own paths. With a deeper understanding we realize that this is a form of arrogance. We are raising ourselves above the will of God and enforcing our own will. It is this conflict of interest that causes us pain and remorse.

Subjugating ourselves before Him allows us to remove our ego. But our inner voice at times does not allow this. It creates a perception of loss and bombards us with negativity since it is connected to our ego. If we detach these thoughts from our ego and rid of our ego, we will be able to attach our thoughts to a deeper, positive energy. It is at this point that we truly submit ourselves to Him and allow Him to work through us. Since ego arises from knowledge, attaching ourselves to the knowledge expounded by the Lord will create an ego formed by the Lord. We read that, "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). But this detachment and reattachment requires trust which requires a respect towards Him.

A student, before entering the class, will ask and wait for the teacher's permission to enter. Imagine a student pestering the teacher and creating a nuisance. Obviously that student won't enter anytime soon. A true teacher will impart profound knowledge and the keen student will imbibe that knowledge. In a student-teacher relationship there is a sense of trust through respect. Respect allows us to accept authority and listen. It gives value and recognition to the other.

In a conversation when one person speaks, the other listens since the listener values the speaker's words. Similarly in a group discussion or a gathering, the speaker is given undivided attention. However, we question and doubt authority when we become resistant. We grow superior to the authority and again our arrogance leads us to think above. When overcome with this arrogance it is wise to discern the situation from a different perspective. To view the situation from an outside perspective allows us to be unbiased towards both us and the other. In this way we can understand our position more clearly and thereby arrive at a more humble position. Respect paves the way for obedience.

Obedience is an honor since obedience is not merely a master-slave relationship. As St. John Vianney said, "Obedience makes the will supple. It gives the power to conquer self, to overcome laziness, and to resist temptations. It inspires the courage with which to fulfill the most difficult tasks." Obedience, therefore, is a pathway to aid us in our understanding of outer and inner disturbances. It fosters humility to accept teachings and imbibe knowledge. Obedience can be both ways, when the student learns from the teacher and when the teacher answers the student's doubts. But obedience can also be to the self. When one realizes the absence of the self created ego, one can detach from this ego out of obedience to the ego created by the words of Christ. However, when a person submits to desires and temptations, we are paying obeisance to ourselves.

Silence is more than the absence of noise. Inner silence is a clear, unbiased, pure perception of oneself and one's surroundings. Deep reflection is required to form clarity of understanding. Through this we can attain self-control and submission to our Lord. When doubts cloud our minds it allows for contemplation. When anger subdues us, it allows for control. When others ridicule us, it allows for comfort to understand our true self.

When we perceive and understand with clarity then we can open our eyes to true knowledge. When we are able to control ourselves we can be patient and wait on Him to deliver us and provide for us and guide us through the travails of life. It is imperative to respect Him and His teachings in order to be able to fully submit to Him. We are but obedient servants who wait on our Master. This acceptance of our position before Him allows us to rid our arrogance and see us as less among others.

Silence allows for introspection and realization which is imperative to understand the knowledge expounded by Christ. If the words of the serpent deceived man, the Word of God has saved man.

The Power of Words

by Anna Kuta, Editor, ReligionToday.com

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21).

We've all heard the phrase "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." In my mind, that statement couldn't be further from the truth.

Words are powerful. We've all, no doubt, been wounded at some point by careless, unkind or mean statements. Their effect on our lives, even years later, is undeniable. No matter how much we deny it, it still makes us cringe to remember the taunts of the second-grade bully on the playground and makes us want to crawl under a rock to think of that rumor spreading through the high school hallways.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue," Proverbs 18:21 says. The impact our words have on others cannot be overstated. One small comment or remark can make the difference between building a relationship up or tearing it down. We have the power to either encourage or destroy others with our speech.

The Bible speaks extensively about the power of words - especially positive ones - and warns about the dangers of careless ones. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger," says Proverbs 15:1. "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones," Proverbs 16:24 adds. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." And Matthew 12:36-37 says: "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

One particular instance of the power of words in my life stands out in my mind - one that, without exaggerating, very likely changed my whole course at that time. It was early in the second semester of my sophomore year of college, and I was trudging up the stairs of the journalism building to turn in an assignment. Freshman year and the first half of sophomore year had been rough for a variety of reasons, and now I was struggling to juggle my classes, work and personal issues and keep my head afloat. I had to officially declare my major in just a few weeks, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. It was one of those weeks where I seemed to be failing on every assignment, and to top it off, I had just come from a disastrous meeting with an econ professor who made me feel stupid for not understanding an "easy" problem. Even in my journalism classes - my best subject - I couldn't seem to get into the swing of things. The harder I tried, the worse the results seemed to be. I was beginning to worry that majoring in journalism would be the most terrible idea of my life, and I was, in all honesty, becoming more and more tempted to give it all up completely and go take a semester off somewhere.

On my way out of the journalism building, I passed two of my professors talking in the hallway. I said hi to them and kept walking, but after I rounded the corner I stopped short as I heard one of them say to the other, "Anna is one of the most hard-working and good journalism students." I don't know if he meant for me to overhear his statement, and I don't remember hearing either of them say a single other thing, but his words made me freeze and stand there for a good 10 seconds. A good student - that's really what he thought? My work was paying off? I wasn't a total journalistic failure who would never succeed as a writer? It was like right then and there something went off in my mind. I hadn't even realized I needed the encouragement, but suddenly my whole outlook changed. If that's what my professor thought of me, then I was determined not to let him down. Many times throughout the rest of college when I doubted myself or just needed a pick-me-up, I thought back to his comment. He became one of my most trusted mentors, and before I graduated I was finally able to tell him how his words that day had probably been the turning point in my whole academic career. To this day, I still don't know what it was about that one simple statement - but I do know its impact went a thousand times beyond what my professor could have ever imagined.

A kind, positive or encouraging word at the right time can truly be life-changing. Your words hold the power to breathe an attitude of death or life into others - which will you choose?

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Let us strive to remember the power of our words and their impact on those who hear them. Think twice before making a negative statement, and instead find a way to pass along an encouraging word today.

Further Reading

1 Peter 3:10

Colossians 3:8

Proverbs 15

Source: Crosswalk the Devotional

Why Did I Just Say That?

by Greg Laurie

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:. . .A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7

I can think of so many times when I should have kept silent, but I just had to speak. On more than one occasion I have said something, and the moment it left my lips, I thought, "Why did I just say that?" And I have found myself instantly wishing I could have those words back.

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to say the perfect thing, but instead, you ended up saying the lamest thing possible?

It reminds me of when Peter, along with James and John, witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain. What an awesome privilege these three men had been given! Their eyes were the only ones who got to see Jesus' face and clothes suddenly becoming shining like the sun. And then they had the privilege of having a front row seat as Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus about His upcoming trials. Even as this conversation was taking place, however, Peter blurted out, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. . ." (Mark 9:5). Mark includes this interesting commentary: "He did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid" (verse 6).

But Peter wasn't quite finished. He said, "Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (verse 5). I wonder if Moses turned to Jesus and asked, "Who is that guy?"

"Oh, that's Rock. Never mind."

How easily thoughts can jump into our minds, and we just say them without thinking. But how much better it is to think about it a moment and ask ourselves, "Is this the right thing to say? Would this be an appropriate statement to make? Would this glorify the Lord?"

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

If we applied that filter to our conversations -"Will this comment build this person up? Will these words benefit this person?"—imagine what a difference there would be in the content of our words.

Quiet My Soul

by Wendy Pope

"But I have stilled and quieted my soul." Psalm 131:2a (NIV)

I'm a talker ... I always have been. When report cards came home, my parents never expected anything better than a C beside the word "conduct." One of my elementary school teachers politely called me "very social." Most were more blunt: "Wendy talks too much. She could learn more if she would talk less."

Unfortunately, old habits die hard. I brought this trait of talking too much into the time I set aside each day to spend alone with God. I often fill my "quiet time" with my words ... lots and lots of words. I wonder if sometimes the Father looks to the Son and says, "I can't get a word in edge-wise with this girl! She could learn more if she would talk less."

No, silence wasn't easy for this girl who likes to gab. Rather than waiting for God to speak to me, I wanted to tell Him what I thought would be good solutions to my problems. To-do lists ran through my head, instead of peace and quiet. It was easy to go on and on about the dusty shelves and piles of toys. But sit and listen? That felt unnatural, so I resisted and kept talking.

I shared this uneasiness with God, knowing silence and stillness were things I needed to practice. During these times I felt God's gentle encouragement: Shhh ... be still. It's okay to be silent. You don't have to say a word.

God was clearly trying to teach me something. His direction to be quiet was about more than resting my mouth-it was about resting my heart. I understood this when I read Psalm 131:2, "But I have stilled and quieted my soul." God wanted me to understand true rest ... His rest.

As with anything, practice makes perfect. With great intention, I slowed my 90-mile-an-hour thoughts and parked them during my alone time with the Lord. Sometimes this required me writing out my to-do list prior to our time together. Or re-adjusting my priorities. Vacuuming was not as important as listening to God. Many times my thoughts would rev up, and I'd be talking without even realizing it! But I'd rein them back in and start over.

My spirit felt renewed and at peace. In silence and stillness, I sensed God's direction for my day, peace for my circumstances and the soul-rest I needed.

As we fill the reservoirs of our souls with true refreshment from God, we learn to relax as we experience real peace and rest that only comes from the silence and stillness of being with Him. We carry this refreshment with us as we face the challenges of our day.

Do you have the gift of gab like me? Do you find it challenging to sit quietly with God? Ask Him to help you practice and enjoy silence and stillness. Your soul will find refreshing peace. God's rest is exactly what our restless souls need.

Dear Lord, my soul is having a hard time being still. I lay down my resistance to silence and ask for your help to spend time in silence with You every day. I praise You in advance for what You are going to say to me in the silence. I thank You for the rest only You can give. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:

What keeps you from silencing your soul during quiet times with God?

For five days spend five minutes in silence with God. Open the time of silence by repeating today's key verse, "But I have stilled and quieted my soul" (Psalm 131:2a). Keep a journal of your time with Him.

Power Verses:

Matthew 11:28-30, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (MSG)

Ecclesiastes 3:7b, "... a time to be silent and a time to speak." (NIV)

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