From the Mind Games series on Overcoming Offenses

You can feel the sting of an offense or a wrong done to you, when it starts occurring. Your mind starts to reel off signals to your entire body while it is occurring and your emotional state is jaw dropped after it happens.

Imagine a car with a green light just starting to cross an intersection when out of nowhere, BAM! It’s t-boned by a semi. That’s the impact of offenses when they occur. Unexpectedly, without notice and most times from some point of trust.

Your first reaction comes from your heart and directs its action towards your mind, facial expression and then mouth. It hurts your heart, you realize what just happened in your mind (“What the…?!”), you frown and in some cases you speak in disappointment, defense or to correct.

This verse tells us that Jesus was silent. He also had foreknowledge of the offenses that were to come. You don’t have that benefit in most cases. But because Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit, you can master this same silence.

How do you do that? I’m glad you asked. You do it by catching the route to reaction between your heart and your mind. Catch it upon REALIZATION. There and only there can you decide your response. The best response is silence.

Silence doesn’t say they are right, they win or you lose. Silence, when used correctly carries more power than emotional outbursts and responses. Silence allows you to let everything play out while you observe what happens next, especially with the person from which the offense came. Silence gives you the opportunity to see right then what is ahead. Whether you will continue to deal with this person or not, go through with your plan on the situation or pray for more wisdom for needed redirection.

Silence also begins your healing from the offense so – Ssshhh. Be quiet.