Richard Foster writes, “The tongue is a thermometer; it gives us our spiritual temperature. It is also a thermostat; it regulates our spiritual temperature.”

He continues, “The tongue is our most powerful weapon of manipulation. A frantic stream of words flows from us because we are in a constant process of adjusting our public image. We fear so deeply what we think other people see in us that we talk in order to straighten out their understanding. If I have done something wrong (or even some right thing that I think you may misunderstand) and discover that you know about it, I will be very tempted to help you understand my action! Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on all self-justification. One of the fruits of silence is the freedom to let God be our justifier.”

The purpose of silence and solitude is to be able to see and hear. “Only when we learn to be truly silent are we able to speak the word that is needed when it is needed.”

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11 (NIV)

~Marq Caughell

*All quotations from Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster, unless otherwise noted.