“Sometimes, the only faithful response is silence.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 24, 2025
A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. Ecclesiastes 3:7, ESV
One of the most well-known and beloved verses of my childhood was 1 Peter 3:15, which invites us to be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in you.” This is apologetics 101, and many hours were spent teaching us the fundamentals of the faith and ways to faithfully answer any objections someone might raise against this or that aspect of our faith. And while this is in many ways a beautiful and faithful Christian practice, intentionally or not, it did instill in me an assumption that there are always words that should be shared, always an answer that can bring a solution to any problem anyone might face.
The longer I live, the less convinced I am of this truth. Or, to be more clear, I am less convinced of my ability to offer words that are, in fact, always the defense, consolation, or hope that people need to hear.
Sometimes, the only faithful response is silence.
In the Bible, we are encouraged time and time again to see and affirm the goodness of silence. We are silent in the majestic presence of God (Habakkuk 2:20), reminded to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19), and in today’s passage from Ecclesiastes 3, told that there are times and situations that demand words, yet often find ourselves in a time that calls for the mercy and mystery of silence.
When someone we love betrays our trust and wounds us deeply, instead of claiming “righteous anger,” perhaps in that moment love instead demands silent endurance. Instead of offering unsolicited advice or answers to questions that weren’t asked, choose to simply be present to those around you, seeing the beauty of their humanity and celebrating the gift of friendship. And when unspeakable tragedy strikes at a moment’s notice, from terrorist attacks to flash flooding that steals the lives of innocent children, resist the urge to offer an explanation or theological rationale. The only response in such moments is silence and sorrow, weeping with those who weep and mourning with those who mourn.
This is not a lack of faith but is instead an embrace of our limitations and inability to offer counsel and consolation in any given situation. Learn, by God’s grace, to embrace your limits, and choose the difficult and at times unbearably painful path of silence, trusting that the Lord is with us in our weakness and present in our pain.
Prayer
Father, so many things in this life are beyond our ability to grasp or comprehend, yet we choose to believe that you are good and love us more than we know how to love ourselves. Help us to silently rest in this truth today, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
When you feel tempted to speak this week, first ask yourself, “Is this a time to be silent?”
Related Reading
Psalm 46:10; Proverbs 17:28; James 1:19
Worship Resource
Michael W. Smith: Sovereign Over Us
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