Studying to be Quiet

A very important scripture in I Thessalonians 4:11 says, "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;" When you see the phrase "study" it means to contemplate or to stop and think about. In other words whenever you're about ready to make a statement, you should contemplate what you're going to say before you say it. The Apostle Paul was teaching us the importance of being quiet minding our own business and not being busybodies. There are numerous people that are busybodies trying to stick their nose in other people's business. That will get you into major trouble. There's more than one side to a coin. Many people that try to interfere in other people's business can only see one side of the coin. They don't know the truth of the whole matter. That will cause you to wind up in huge trouble. Studying to be quiet means don't get in a big hurry saying what you think you desire to say. Don't say what you think you desire to say unless it's important and necessary. Even when it is necessary to say something, make sure it's seasoned with salt.

This verse can be a help to those both saved and lost. People that learn the concept of "studying to be quiet" will save themselves much heartache, bitterness, and unnecessary apologies. I was thinking about when we're wrong we should be willing to admit we're wrong and apologize. That is true. However, I've learned over the years we need to learn preventative maintenance when it comes to our speech. If we'll apply that verse to our lives, we won't place ourselves in half as many situations where we must apologize because we opened our mouth when we don't have any business in doing so. I heard a visiting pastor at church saying a few weeks ago if he sees a mudhole in the street he's going to avoid it. It's much better to avoid the mudhole than to step into it and have to wipe the mud off your leg. That's right on target. The same goes with the statements we make to other people. It's much better to not offend than to say something offensive and we must later apologize for it. I can make some hurtful remarks to a brother in the church and later apologize for it. I could be very sincere in my apology and he would be sincere when he says he would forgive me. However, the damage already has been done with the stinging comments I made. Those hurtful comments will affect his relationship towards me. Why? Because I'm human, because he's human. You've heard the saying "If you've done it once, you're likely to do it again." Even if he forgives me, he may be more likely to not want to have as close of a relationship with me because of the statements I've made. Even though I've apologized sincerely, the ehco of those hurtful remarks may carry a scar. It would've been much better if I had contemplated my statements prior to saying them to him. That way no damage would've been committed. It's much better to not offend than to offend and have to apologize. Because damage has been inflicted even if its minimal.

When I refer to saying things that are offensive that hurt someone, I'm not making reference to the man of God behind the pulpit that preaches the Bible and says something that offends the church member in the pew. If the church member is offended, then that's his fault. Many times church members are offended when a man of God preaches because sin is exposed and the members in the pew don't want to deal with that sin. That's not the preacher's fault. When a man of God preaches behind the pulpit any statement he makes that's in the Bible is fair gain. He must preach the Word in or out of season regardless whether or not it offends those in the pew. I'm making reference to personal comments people make to other people that's offensive or hurtful and there's nothing constructive about it. We should contemplate what we say to other people before we say it. It wold prevent a lot of unnecessary damage. Much damage has been inflicted over the years because of comments that are unthoughtful or unnecessary. There are some people that are going through a trial in their lives and it's very important that we watch what we say to them in the midst of their trial. There's been couples that have faced infertility issues and there's been people that have asked them when they're going to have children. That kind of question can be very offensive especially when you consider what they're having to endure. Many times questions are asked or comments are made that hurt other people even when the people that pose those questions or make those comments are doing so in well-meaning. We must be careful when it comes to personal issues in other peoples' live to watch what we ask or say. Some people are experiencing tumultuous trials and they don't feel like discussing the issues at hand. That's where we need to learn to study to be quiet.

You never know what kind of trial or temptation somebody's facing. I believe that's one of the reasons why that scripture was placed in I Thessalonians 4:11. Also, there's people that like to meddle in other people's business. They haven't learned to study to be quiet. Also, there's been cases where you hear of people who always must have the last word in any given situation. I know of a famous college basketball coach in America that was like that. Bob Knight who used to coach Indiana and Texas Tech was very well-known for his outbursts, temper-tantrums, and saying the last word. It's caused him trouble over the years. It even led to his being fired from Indiana University in 2000. Many people have gotten in huge trouble in the workplace and even fired because they wouldn't learn the concept of studying to be quiet. The book of James mentions how destructive the human tongue is. It will set a forest on fire. Much of the strife, gossip, and tale-bearing that takes place is due to people not learning to be quiet. Not learning to be quiet can be costly.

I've heard the old saying that what goes around comes around. A person that always must open their mouth and have the last word will one of these days have to eat what they say. It's very crucial we watch our tongue. We don't have to speak half as much as we think we do. We need to watch what we say. If we would apply I Thessalonians 4:11 to our lives, just think how much quieter and peaceful this world would be.