Do you agree that the world is getting louder all the time? I am not only talking about the environmental noise of traffic, construction, and hoards of people milling about. I am also talking about voices. Turn on the television and you will inevitably see and hear someone yelling into a microphone or at somebody. Airplanes have become combat zones where people are venting their frustration. Restaurant personnel are the subjects of verbal barrages. Athletes are screaming at each other and at the video camera.
Frankly it all gives me a headache. Do higher volumes add anything to the value of the words that are spoken? I tend to tune out the screaming. Solomon gave us wisdom when he wrote: “But even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king.” If you are wise, you won’t have to shout to be heard and do good. People come to the wise person quietly for advice. They don’t go to the brash loud talker for counsel. Let your words be few and deliver them in the quietness of a wise heart.
The Bible gives us another reason to speak softly. It says, “a quiet answer turns away wrath.” Speaking softly can lower the temperature of a heated moment, leaving room for agreement.
Reluctant Retiree 