Thursday’s Thought

      A Mid-Week Inspirational Message

    © 2003-2008 Ron Adams

When Silence Isn’t Golden

After winning the long jump competition in a high school track meet, the results were printed in the local newspaper. The next day at school some students, having read the results, were amazed at the distance I had jumped. They said the reported distance was a new school record, breaking the old one by almost two feet.

However, their praise was somewhat bittersweet. True, I had won the competition and set a school record, but the paper made a mistake in the distance I jumped. Here's where my silence wasn't golden.

The praise and adulation was such a heady experience (a seldom one at that), I chose not to mention that the report was in error. All day long the praise kept coming but my silence only made me feel worse.

At days end it was apparent I had made the wrong decision in keeping silent. One must be truthful, even if it means the loss of praise or having to suffer hurt and shame. Not correcting what is wrong, harms the one who keeps silent. Silence never alters facts.

The words of David in Psalm 32:3-4 says it all:

"When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.”

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

Ephesians 4:25

Postscript:

     The truth did come out later and the embarrassment was even harder to endure.

Quotations from NASB

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