QUICK TO LISTEN, SLOW TO SPEAK
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” Proverbs 29:11, ESV
Theme: Emotions are meant to be signals, not dictators. We are called to control them while also not completely ignoring or suppressing them.
THE WISDOM OF “SILENT CAL”
“I have noticed that nothing I have never said ever did me any harm.” -Calvin Coolidge
One hundred years ago this month, President Calvin Coolidge had just finished up the first year of his second term in the Oval Office. His first term had begun unexpectedly in 1923 upon the death of President Harding, whom he had served alongside as Vice President. His habit of verbal and emotional restraint earned him the nickname “Silent Cal,” and he has thus been recorded in the annals of American history for his peaceful, reserved, laconic manner of service to our country. Belying his quiet nature, he won the 1924 election in a landslide as a result of “Coolidge Prosperity,” the economic growth the country was experiencing during his tenure, and thanks to his honesty and integrity—a departure from Warren Harding’s scandal-plagued presidency. President Coolidge was a man whose few words were packed with intention and relevance. He was respected for his ability to govern without giving “full vent” to his emotions.
“Silent Cal” was a man of faith who was “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19). While his personal life was marked with tragedy, his public life provided the example of a leader whose self-control was worthy of respect and emulation.
WHO IS HOLDING THE WHEEL?
A hundred years hence, we are so digitally interconnected that it’s very easy to give leave to all our emotions so that the “world” can see and experience them with us. In fact, when my Facebook memories from 2010 pop up, I’m embarrassed by how unguarded my thoughts often were in those early days of social media. I had a platform, and too often I surrendered the steering wheel to my emotions, letting them decide what I said and how I said it.
SUBMITTING EMOTIONS TO CHRIST
While the emotions that surface within us are real and often even merited, they should be indicators, not directors. They’re alerts that tell us something is happening, and not instructions that must be obeyed. Scripture tells us that wisdom does not suppress our emotions but instead, leads them. We get to make the decision about how, when, and where our feelings should be expressed. Proverbs 29:11 (ESV) says, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” I cannot count the number of times I’ve played the “fool” in this proverb, but as a Christian, I know that I must practice the discipline of taming my tongue—submitting my emotions to Christ rather than submitting my speech to my emotions—and bearing the spiritual fruit of peace, patience, and self-control.
Make it Personal: Maturity in Christ does not mean the absence of strong emotion, but the ability to govern our emotions rather than being governed by them. Sometimes silence or a delayed response is wiser than an immediate reaction. How might God be inviting you this week to submit your emotions to Him?
Pray: Father, we live in a culture that rewards the constant vent of our feelings, and I admit that I often submit to my feelings rather than submitting my feelings to You. Give me wisdom to practice the discipline of self-control and to show love to others through the patient processing of my emotions, thoughts, and words. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: James 1:19-20; Proverbs 16:32; Proverbs 17:27-28
Weekly Memory Verse: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12, ESV