I recall once being in a car with a group of friends and we were lost. As we continued one person after another would make suggestions on which way to go. And every time it was wrong, causing endless rerouting.There was only one person who never spoke up. He wasn’t from our country and so he never said anything. At the end of the journey, when we finally arrived, he was the only one who looked smart. The rest of us all looked like fools. While there are times to speak, we tend to speak too often and listen not enough. Most of us certainly don’t follow the ratio of 2:1 – two ears to one mouth.
Listen twice as much as you speak. If there is one time we do well to be quiet is when someone offends us, or criticizes us. In these moments, the wise writer of Proverbs says, “Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.” (Proverbs 19:11). Pause. Ponder. And if need, respond later. But most importantly, regardless of the situation, “forgive and forget” because remember that Jesus has forgiven you much more.
