Silent Treatment – Speak Up
There have been times when I’m in a meeting and feeling compelled to say something, but I hold it back. I’ve learned the value of timing. I’ve also learned to speak up because I might say what everyone else is thinking. I have to keep a check on my ego for sure so that I’m not speaking just to hear myself speak. When the silent treatment is giving, it screams out the need for someone to “break the ice” and get the conversation going again. There are times during the silence that the conflict grows disproportionately.
David is made King in Judah, but Abner decides to make Saul’s son Isbosheth the King over the rest of Israel. They end up fighting and Joab’s brother takes off in pursuit of Abner. Abner kills him along the road and now the fight is really on. Check this out….
24 When Joab and Abishai found out what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 Abner’s troops from the tribe of Benjamin regrouped there at the top of the hill to take a stand.
26 Abner shouted down to Joab, “Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?”
27 Then Joab said, “God only knows what would have happened if you hadn’t spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary.” 28 So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel. (2 Samuel 2:24-28 NLT)
There have been times in my life when I felt like the “silent treatment” was appropriate because the words that I were about to use would just inflame the conversation or situation. I do think it’s important to let some of the emotion out of the room before using harsh and hateful words. I think that I should season my words with grace and mercy instead of hot sauce! It takes a strong person to talk about the way to peace and resolution in a war of words. I want to be the voice of calm. I want to think before I speak. I want to refrain from being silent when I really need to speak.
Pressing On!
Dwayne