Author: Unknown
Talkativeness is utterly ruinous to deep spirituality. It is one of the greatest hindrances to deep, solid union with God Notice how people will tell the same thing over and over-how insignificant trifles are magnified by a world of words; how things that should be buried are dragged out into gossip; how a worthless non-essential is argued and disputed over; how the solemn, deep things of the Holy Spirit are rattled over in a light manner-until one who has the real baptism of the divine silence in his heart, feels he must unceremoniously tear himself away to some lonely room or forest, where he can gather up the fragment of his mind, and rest in God.
Not only do we need cleansing from sin, but our natural human spirit needs a radical death to its own noise and activity and worldliness.
See the evil effects of so much talk.
First, it dissipates the spiritual power. The thought and feeling of the soul are like power and steam-the more they are condensed, the greater their power.
Second, it is a waste of time. If the hours spent in useless conversation were spent in secret prayer or deep reading, we would soon reach a region of soul life and divine peace beyond our present dreams.
Third, loquacity inevitably leads to saying unwise or unpleasant or unprofitable things. In religious conversation, we soon churn up all the cream our souls have in them and the rest of our talk is all pale, skim milk until we get alone with God and feed on His green pasture until the cream arises again. The Holy Spirit warns us that “in the multitude of words there lacketh not sin.” It is impossible for even the best of saints to talk beyond a certain point without saying something unkind, or severe, or foolish, or erroneous. We must settle this personally. If others are noisy and gossip, I must determine to live in constant quietness and humility of heart: I must guard my speech as a sentinel does a fortress, and with all respect for others, I must many a time cease from conversation or withdraw from company to enter deep communion with my precious Lord. To walk in the Spirit we must avoid talking for talk’s sake, or merely to entertain. To speak effectively we must speak in God’s appointed time, and in harmony with the indwelling Holy Spirit
“He that hath knowledge spareth his words.” (Prov. 17:27). “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Isa. 30:15; also read Eccl. 5:2-3
