THERE IS A TIME TO BE INTENTIONALLY SILENT AND QUIET

Ecclesiastes 3:1-7 12 SITUATIONS WHEN YOU MUST EMBRACE SILENCE SITUATION 1 :WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS SPEAKING SITUATION 2 :THE SECOND SITUATION WHERE YOU MUST EMBRACE SILENCE IS WHEN SOMEONE IS TRYING TO PROVOKE YOU. SITUATION 3 : THE THIRD SITUATION IS WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY GOSSIP. SITUATION 4 : THE FOURTH SITUATION WHERE SILENCE IS GOLDEN IS WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY. Anger is like fire. It consumes everything in its path, including the person feeling it. WHEN YOU SPEAK FROM ANGER, YOU SAY THINGS YOU CAN'T TAKE BACK. YOU MAKE DECISIONS YOU REGRET. YOU BURN BRIDGES THAT TOOK YEARS TO BUILD. Silence in anger doesn't mean suppression. It means creating space between the feeling and the response. IT MEANS RECOGNIZING THAT YOUR ANGRY WORDS WILL NOT ACHIEVE WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO ACHIEVE. THEY WON'T MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. THEY WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEY'LL ONLY CREATE NEW PROBLEMS. MANY RELATIONSHIPS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY WORDS SPOKEN IN ANGER. MANY OF THE MISTAKES AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY ANGER CAN BE AVOIDED THROUGH “DELIBRATE SILENCE” Anger leads to HASTY utterances Anger leads to HASTY pronouncements/curses IN ANGER, BITTER AND INSULTING WORDS ARE EASILY SPOKEN. Anger leads to VERY COSTLY mistakes, which could be IN THE FORM OF WORDS SPOKEN Anger leads to IRREPARABLE damage which could be DUE TO YOUR UTTERANCE, COMMENT OR ACTIONS. AVOID engaging in HOT AND BITTER ARGUMENTS as much as possible. PRO. 29:9 When angry or disappointed, RESTRAIN YOURSELF FROM USING ABUSIVE, INSULTIVE, HURTING, SPITEFUL OR HUMILIATING WORDS against the other person. RESTRAIN YOURSELF FROM REVEALING SECRETS OR SENSITIVE THINGS you were told in confidence when you are angry. AVOID SAYING THINGS YOU DON’T REALLY MEAN (maybe just to scare or get back at the person) RESTRAIN YOURSELF from SHOUTING, NAGGING, MURMURING. CONTROL YOUR TONGUE. AVOID VENTING OUT YOUR ANGER ON PEOPLE AROUND. E.g. your family, staff or those you are not currently happy with especially THROUGH SHOUTING & CURSING. THE 3 DAYS OF SILENCE STRATEGY WHEN YOU FEEL VERY ANGRY GO SILENT FOR 3 DAYS, NO TEXTS, NO EMAILS, NO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHATEVER TRIGGERED YOUR ANGER. This strategy of 3 days of silence has saved many people from erratic decisions and reactions. It's prevented many from sending resignation letters that they would have regretted. It's stopped many from ending relationships that just needed understanding. THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN HISTORY. THEY WEREN'T THE ONES WHO TALKED THE MOST. THEY WERE THE ONES WHO KNEW WHEN TO SPEAK AND WHEN TO REMAIN SILENT. In conflicts, REFUSAL TO ENGAGE IN VERBAL WARFARE OFTEN RESOLVES ISSUES FASTER THAN ANY ARGUMENT COULD. THE SILENCE I'M TALKING ABOUT IS ACTIVE, INTENTIONAL, AND POWERFUL. IT'S THE SILENCE OF WISDOM, NOT IGNORANCE. It's the silence of strength, not weakness. YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR SILENCE IS A CHOICE, NOT A LIMITATION. You understand that BY CHOOSING WHEN NOT TO SPEAK, YOU'RE EXERCISING THE HIGHEST FORM OF SELF-CONTROL. You're demonstrating MASTERY OVER YOUR IMPULSES, YOUR EGO, AND YOUR NEED FOR VALIDATION. PEOPLE DESTROY DECADES-LONG FRIENDSHIPS WITH WORDS SPOKEN IN A MOMENT OF ANGER. YOUR SILENCE WHEN ANGRY ISN'T SUPPRESSION, IT'S WISDOM IN ACTION. IN SILENCE THERE'S POWER. In silence there's wisdom. SITUATION 5 : DURING HEATED ARGUMENTS SITUATION 6 : WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS SITUATION 7 : WHEN DEALING WITH SOMEONE WHO REFUSES TO LISTEN SITUATION 8 : WHEN THE RELATIONSHIP IS BEYOND REPAIR SITUATION 9 : WHEN THE COST OF BEING RIGHT IS TOO HIGH SITUATION 10 : WHEN YOU’RE UNSURE OF THE FACTS SITUATION 11 : WHEN YOU’RE IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT SITUATION 12 : WHEN THE TIMING ISN’T RIGHT