Talk Is Over-rated

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." 1 Corinthians 4:20

This verse made me smile this morning. Of course, more and more verses make me smile these days, but it just made me think about how much emphasis we sometimes place on the act of talking. The thing is, sometimes talk can be a major distraction- and in more ways than one. Think about the times you've been in a Bible study and you're all discussing a passage in the Bible. Quite often someone will start to make a point that just plain confuses everyone. I know I've been guilty of that, I'll know what I'm thinking, but conveying it, it just doesn't come out right. When that happens in a setting like that, it can totally wreck the flow of the evening. You can be on a roll, and everyone is really learning something and then- wham! Out of left field comes this point that doesn't make any sense and that just sucks the whole group down. In those cases, I've decided that I really need to think about my points before I make them. If I can't come up with a coherent way to make my point, it's not meant to be made and heard by other people. Maybe that was a revelation just for me at that time. God does work in mysterious ways sometimes.

And then maybe there are other times where you have a time limit. Take church for example sometimes. You may have a set order of service, but then one time, the Pastor or a visiting preacher get long-winded and just keep talking. Talk, talk,talk, and while they may be making fantastic points, not many people are paying that much attention, because they're focused on the clock, they have things to do, they want to get home and do this, this, or that. And then church is finally done, the prayer time is cut short, and any fellowship is over your shoulder as you dash out the door.

I guess I'm just thinking that sometimes we just need to stop talking. I know plenty of people for whom silence is uncomfortable, but its in those silent moments that the Holy Spirit does his best work. When you can just take the time and remove all distractions and really focus on God and His wonder and might, that's when we might see something we've never seen before. There definitely is a time for talk...it doesn't do any good to learn something from God and then keep it to yourself, but it's so important to take those quiet times. It's so important to stop chattering, because we can't hear God if we just keep talking. You're not having a conversation with someone if you do all the talking. Sometimes we need to listen and observe. The best things happen in those times.