Is it a sin to be quiet?
Bible Verses about being Quiet
Being quiet can be a struggle, but it can also be a good virtue to have. The Bible commends those who are able to keep the peace and listen, however, discourages being quiet due to timidness. Through God's words we can be empowered to speak out for it can lead to great things.
Scripture tells us that silence can help us avoid sinning (Proverbs 10:19), gain respect (Proverbs 11:12), and is deemed wise and intelligent (Proverbs 17:28). In other words, you may be blessed by holding your tongue. Ultimately, refraining from speaking in certain situations means we are practicing self-control.
Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
To all of this, Paul says, “Stop! Stay calm.” Instead of leading a chaotic life, “lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2).
Yes, God speaks through silence. I've heard God's voice the loudest as I sat with him in silence. As I emptied myself of all the noise around me, I felt his presence more than ever before.
'Tis better to keep quiet and be thot a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. “It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool.” says Dr. Arthur Burns, “than to speak and remove all doubts.”
“Silence and periods of calm stimulate brain growth and relieve tension, which can result in a higher sense of well-being, as people can then feel more relaxed generally,” says Prunty. “When this occurs, sleep quality improves.”
Being silent allows us to channel our energies. It gives us the clarity we need to calmly face challenges and uncertainty. The hour of silence I practice each morning, and encourage you to practice as well, can be a time for collecting our thoughts, training our minds, and deciding how we want to enter into the day.
Humility is sometimes referred to as the quiet virtue or the quiet strength. Rightfully so, as humility involves thinking less of ourselves and the noisy internal “ego” in our head and quietly focusing on others.
Silence enables us to let God reach out to us. Psalm 46:10, says “Be still and know that I am God.” My prayer for us during the remaining days of Lent is that we intentionally take time away from the busyness of our lives so that we may hasten to God who speaks to us in the silence of our hearts.
When should you keep silent?
When you don't know enough about a situation or other people are experts or when your opinion has no impact on others, it's often better to stay silent, just because it's the wisest thing to do. “Silence is the best answer to someone who doesn't value your words.”
Biblical Translations of Proverbs 27:14
If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse! Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
Living a quiet lifestyle means surrounding yourself with quality, not quantity. Valuable relationships add to your life and help you to feel fulfilled. If you find yourself associating with many acquaintances and not true friends, a quiet lifestyle can help you to focus on those relationships that matter.
Proverbs 13:4 – “The soul of the lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.”
But prayer does not always require words. In fact, Jesus cautioned that using “many words” in prayer could become like babbling (see Matthew 6:7). Being still, without using words, can help us reflect on the majesty, power, beauty, love, and other characteristics of God.
Ecclesiastes 3:7
A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
Finally, and simply, to hear God's voice, ask God to speak. Say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Contrary to what most people think, God wants to speak to us and God is speaking to us all the time. We are simply deaf to what God is saying or not paying attention.
According to research, introverts also have more brain activity than most individuals because of their inward personalities. Their quietness helps them balance out the level of stimulation their brains experience, and is the reason why most introvert traits like keen observation needs silence to function.
Being quiet is not a bad thing. Being an introvert is not a sign of weakness. Shyness is something that can be changed.
Do intelligent people keep quiet?
This isn't necessarily true, and while not all quiet people are necessarily smart, highly intelligent people will often refrain from speaking if they are accessing a situation. They will take some time to think about what was said and prepare an adequate response, and they find silence better than pointless small talk.
Extreme shyness can be positive and negative. It's usually not a turn off unless the way the girl expresses shyness is by acting aloof.
Quiet people are more likely to be introverts than extroverts and tend to be more creative and sensitive than the average person. They also tend to be private people who don't like being in large crowds or socializing much at all unless it's necessary for work or school.
- Need quiet to concentrate.
- Are reflective.
- Are self-aware.
- Take time making decisions.
- Feel comfortable being alone.
- Don't like group work.
- Prefer to write rather than talk.
- Feel tired after being in a crowd.
Sometimes, going silent may be the best thing to avoid saying things you would later regret. People might also use it in moments where they don't know how to express themselves or feel overwhelmed. But some people use the silent treatment as a tool for exerting power over someone or creating emotional distance.
Silence speaks volumes
Believe it, the silence and zero reaction really bothers your ex, and they consider it as the best served revenge. Nothing creates more curiosity than silence. Your ex would expect a vent or an angry rant from you, but don't give in. If you do, you are meeting their expectations.
It doesn't mean that introverts can't be successful. In fact, the list of successful introverts is long: Michael Jordan, J.K. Rowling, Christina Aguilera, Bill Gates, President Obama, Emma Watson and more.
Silence is not rude; rather, silence is a language of the wise that they prefer over the foolish tittle-tattle. These people understand the power of their words and use them carefully instead of speaking without thinking, resulting in breaking hearts and spreading lies.
Silence is easier to define than solitude. In the spiritual realm, it is not the literal absence of all noise, but the absence of all human-created stimuli. “Human-created” because most would consider a walk in the woods, in which the sounds of nature are present, to still be a time of “silence.”
This week, I want to challenge us to the discipline of silence and solitude. This is exactly what it sounds like; it's the practice of getting alone and getting quiet. Believers in our time and place are in desperate need of learning how to be still so we can better discern God's voice and presence.
Can you pray to God in silence?
When you think about it, praying through silence is perhaps one of the simplest and easiest ways for you to pray. After all, you don't have to worry about how to pray or what to say. In fact, the whole point of silence is for you to do and say nothing. Your job is just to show up.
Silence is deemed approval.
If you disapprove and don't say anything it will not make you seem easy going. If the problem persists and you did nothing people may consider it as enabling and think the issue is as much your fault as the person who actually caused the problem. You may destroy trust and create resentment.
If you waive your 5th Amendment right to remain silent and voluntarily speak to the police, anything you tell them can be used against you in court to prosecute you for the crimes that you are being charged with.
When you practice solitude and silence, you allow your brain to process your emotions, rather than suppressing them and remaining on autopilot. You may feel some uncomfortable emotions through this process, but the sooner you recognize and address your feelings, the sooner you can move forward in health and freedom.
Therefore, intentionally talk less and be wise. “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
NIV: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." CEV: "They should be silent and not be allowed to teach or to tell men what to do." NASB: "But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet."
Proverbs 9:13-18 In-Context
13 Foolishness is like a loud woman; she does not have wisdom or knowledge. 14 She sits at the door of her house at the highest place in the city.
Joseph was someone we could describe this way: “His actions spoke louder than his words.” His silence reminds us that the best way to obey God is to actually do God's will and not just talk about it. There is a direct connection between hearing and obeying.
In the Gospels, Jesus gave comfort by His presence, freeing the mouth of the mute to confess the truth. In Mark 7:37, the people were astonished beyond measure that Jesus brought the mute to speak. It is only through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit that we can speak the truth.
Humility does not mean that we are silent, or passive people. “Do not let your adornment be merely outward… rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” 1 Peter 3:3-4.
Why living a quiet life is best?
A slow, happy progression is best. In the quiet space that you create, in this world of noise and rushing and distraction, is a new world of reflection, peacefulness, and beauty. It's a world of your own, and it's worth living in.
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Leveraging quiet strength:
- Honor their strengths. ...
- Respect their ability to commit. ...
- Give them prep time. ...
- Don't assume silence is disagreement or consent. ...
- Enjoy silence. ...
- Ask questions, after you've given them think-time.
- Invite feedback one-on-one rather than in groups.
- Decide what is important.
- Examine your commitments.
- Do less each day.
- Leave time between tasks or appointments.
- Slow down and enjoy every task.
- Single-task; don't multi-task.
- Don't let technology take over your life.
Sloth is one of the seven capital sins in Catholic teachings. It is the most difficult sin to define and credit as sin, since it refers to an assortment of ideas, dating from antiquity and including mental, spiritual, pathological, and physical states.
Scripture also says that too much sleep may reflect laziness. Consider Proverbs 6:9-11, which asks sarcastically, “How long will you lie there, O sluggard?” and warns that one who sleeps when he should be working will come to poverty.
It is a sin to be lazy. Laziness causes people to stop growing. Being lazy is refusing to obey God and refusing to do everything for His glory. It causes people to miss out on relying on the Holy Spirit for rest even in the hardest and craziest of times.
Is being an introvert a sin? No absolutely no. Being an introvert is not at all bad. Introverts are like pomegranate, difficult to open but once they are open and become friendly with you, you really enjoy being with them.
We ought not remain silent when facing injustice and abuse but “speak truth to power.” We should not remain silent when witnessing wrongdoing. In those circumstances, silence is not morally acceptable; we have a duty to speak up. Remaining silent also can represent a risk.
Practicing quiet at times throughout the day might set you up for better rest at night. “Silence and periods of calm stimulate brain growth and relieve tension, which can result in a higher sense of well-being, as people can then feel more relaxed generally,” says Prunty. “When this occurs, sleep quality improves.”
God uses both introverts and extroverts
The wonderful thing is that God can use you—introverted or extroverted. It doesn't matter. The Bible is full of all types of personalities.
Does the Bible say anything about introverts?
For instance, Jacob is described as a “quiet man” (Gen 25:27), while his brother, Esau, was a “skillful hunter” (Gen 25:27). Scripture tells us that Moses was “slow of speech” (Ex 4:10), which is a characteristic of introverts, who tend to process ideas before they speak.
Introverts are looked down upon for lack of good 'communication skills'. Right from an early age, introverts have to compete very hard with peers, who seem to have no problem in public or interpersonal speaking. What seems to be effortless for peers is actually the most difficult task for an introverted child.
Being silent allows us to channel our energies. It gives us the clarity we need to calmly face challenges and uncertainty. The hour of silence I practice each morning, and encourage you to practice as well, can be a time for collecting our thoughts, training our minds, and deciding how we want to enter into the day.
Salinas v.
Texas, the Supreme Court effectively placed an asterisk on the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. The Supreme Court held that a suspect's silence in the face of police questioning could be used against him at trial because he did not explain why he was remaining silent.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Being quiet and gentle doesn't mean you're weak.
Such people show deep, inner strength that's under control. It's knowing when to speak and when to listen; when to take action and when to wait. Don't underestimate such people.