Let it Be Lifted

For me, it can be tempting to just…keep talking. It’s not really because I like hearing myself talk, although I do create some pretty cool sentences. No, it’s more because I feel like I’m struggling to be understood by the people I’m talking to. I feel that if I just keep adding words, keep explaining, keep making analogies, then the person will fully understand what I’m trying to tell them.  
 
And more than understanding the words I’m saying, I want them to understand the heart behind what I’m saying as well. I love them, truly. If I’m dedicating time and energy into them, it’s because I want them to do well in life, achieve their goals, and grow closer to Christ every day.
 
The problem with talking sometimes is that I can talk myself right out of understanding. What I mean is, I make my point in two sentences, but because I add another 8 sentences, the person I’m talking to no longer understands what I was even trying to tell them. It becomes exhausting to listen to someone who just…won’t….stop….talking. Why do I do that?  
 
God has been revealing to me that He understands me. He knows who I am. He knows my heart and my motivations. He’s shown me that when I cross the line from making a point over to wearing out my listeners, it’s because I’m losing sight of my identity in Christ, or losing sight of how Christ sees the people I talk to.  
 
I fall into worrying that people think I’m unqualified or stupid, so I need to demonstrate that I really know what I’m talking about. Or maybe I fall into thinking that the other person I’m talking to is stupid, and I need to baby step them through what I’m talking about.
 
Both of these things are unhealthy manifestations of healthy possibilities - maybe I don’t actually know what I’m talking about. Maybe the person I’m talking to really doesn’t understand what I’m trying to explain. But falling into condemnation and frustration or labeling isn’t how Jesus would behave.
 
Resting in the reality of my position as a son in the family of God is the best remedy for this problem. My father knows who I am, so I don’t need to prove to anyone how smart or capable I am. He made me both smart and capable. I know a lot, but I don’t know everything - and He will make sure I know what I need to know in order to teach others.
 
He’s also shown me how he feels about his other children, my brothers and sisters. He loves them, and cares for them. He doesn’t think they’re stupid, but He does know that they all learn and process information differently. So when I’m teaching, He brings these facts to my mind, and will guide me in the best way to convey His truths to them - that may be in metaphors or pictures, or maybe in more technical and historical terms.  
 
Finally, and most importantly, God has made it clear to me that oftentimes it’s best to say very little, or even nothing at all. When I dominate the conversation, I don't just silence the other person, I make it more difficult for us to hear what God is trying to say at that moment.
So when I run out of things to say, like a record that runs out of track, it’s okay to lift the needle off the record and be silent. It’s okay to say “I don’t know.” or “That’s an interesting point.” and then not pursue the subject further. Grafting more music onto the outside of a record is unnatural. It doesn’t make the previous songs better, it just makes the additional stuff seem out of place. When the needle lifts off the record, let it be lifted.

By: Jordan Martin