Last time I shared my thoughts on Christians being silent where we really need to speak up. 

Today, after spending several days in Job in my daily Bible reading, I want to share on the opposite side of that: I think we’re too loud where we need to learn to be silent. 

Here’s a short overview of the first half of Job in case it’s been awhile (or never) since you’ve read it: 

Job is recognized by God as being a righteous man who fears God. Satan, the accuser, recognizes this and asks to destroy all he has to see if he’ll still fear God. God agrees, except satan can’t kill Job. Satan goes forth, killing all of Job’s children and his livelihood and afflicting him with sickness. Job’s friends come to him to mourn with him, but because Job won’t admit to any sin that has caused this, eventually these friends speak out, saying they “heard from a spirit” all these ways Job has sinned and is in the wrong and needs to repent. They say the spirit told them that’s why all this trouble has come, and that there will be more if he doesn’t repent. 

This is where we need to learn silence. These friends assume the “spirit” they heard from was the spirit of God telling them these things, and that because of that they need to tell Job what it said. There are some problems with this. First, the spirits these men heard from never identify themselves as the Lord! Second, the Lord does not tell these men to tell Job what this spirit has said. And third, what these spirits have said to the men counters what we know God Himself has already said about Job (even though these men don’t know that at the time)! 

I fully believe that we as believers can hear from the Holy Spirit. I believe we are led by Him. Romans 8: 14 says that the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. Elsewhere the Word says that the Spirit will lead us into all truth (John 16:13). I know God speaks to us. However, if we think we have insight into someone else’s life, I firmly believe that discernment is necessary. We need to discern whether or not what we think we feel is actually from the Lord. Does it sound like His voice, His character? Is it something He would speak over one of His beloved creation? Or is it something that is coming from our own sin nature, from jealousy, or even from a demonic spirit whispering to us? Discerning Who we are hearing from is of first importance. Then, if we really believe the insight we have IS from God, then we need to pray and ask the Lord about what we have been given insight on, to see whether or not it needs to be spoken, or whether that insight has been given only so that we can intercede for the person about which it has been given. 

I think too often we speak too soon “words from God” without stopping to discern whether or not it’s really His voice and what we’re supposed to do with it if it is. 

Let us be careful what we speak to each other when we think we have insight. Let us not guess at secret sin, but only call out sin that has been seen or confessed. Then we do have a responsibility to speak truth from the Word of God and call our brother or sister to repentance (James 5:19-20).  

Let us be discerning in speaking the truth in love to one other in Christ.