A Learning Experiment

   This morning as I woke up, I realized that I had a few minutes to sit and think and pray before eating breakfast and rushing off to a meeting at church. I thought about the meeting that would happen in a few minutes, and my role in it.

   Then these thoughts:

   A few years back, a man introducing me to another person, said, in effect, that he respected me because of my wisdom. Now I know that he might have done this, and probably so, in order to make me look good, but I have never felt that this wisdom thing was my forte. In fact, I find myself often speaking up in a group, in order to say something that might make me appear wise, when, in fact, I don't feel any wisdom, just a hint of pride in looking that way.

   So, as I prayed about this upcoming meeting, and what my role might be in it, I found myself formulating an experiment of sorts. I wondered what might happen if I only spoke out when prompted by something other than selfish inclinations, that God might lead me as to when to speak and how to make the words true to what I felt, and not just what I thought others would want to hear. In short, I would endeavor to speak truth, as I saw it, and leave it at that.

   There is an old saying that goes something like this "Hold your tongue and let others think you are wise rather than open your mouth and prove to them that you are not", and I resolved to go in that direction.

   So I went and tried to remember my thoughts from that brief early time. I tried not to speak just because everyone else had an opinion on a matter. I tried not to just agree and be in step with the group. If I had something I felt was pertinent to the conversation, I spoke, but otherwise just kept silent.

   In a group of 6 men, it is noticeable when one has little to say, so, before long, others began to prompt me to speak, or ask my opinion on a matter. Even as I did speak, I tried to measure my words carefully and thoughtfully, to add something to the conversation, and not to just respond.

   After the meeting adjourned, I thought about my experiment. It was hard to stay quiet some of the time, but, looking back on the whole thing, I felt that I had at least spoken from what I believed and not just what others might praise as wisdom. What I said may have not revealed any wisdom on my part, but being quiet may have a wisdom all its own.

   That was the conclusion that arose from that one experiment.

    "Jesus tells us one day we will have to give an account for every idle word that passes our lips. By our words--idle or not--we will be justified or condemned. "

   At the very least, words not spoken can't be classified as "idle", and that is a plus.

   Could be the dawning of a new day. Now to remember what has been learned.