Say Less
“Say less!”
As the father of three—and soon to be four—teenagers, I am constantly either chuckling or bewildered and trying to decipher the meaning of conversations they have with friends, each other, or me. It has been a long time since I was a teen, so I admittedly find myself usually just wishing for plainer language (I know . . . typical dad response). But when I recently heard one of our teens excitedly respond to a friend, “Say less,” I have to admit it resonated with me!
Upon reflection, I like the phrase even more now than I did then, and for reasons both intended and unintended by the ones using it.
First, in a world where so much is contrarian (the knee-jerk response by many of us is to automatically take the other side of an issue whether we truly feel that way or not), it is refreshing to hear an enthusiastic embrace of another’s idea! In this sense, “say less” inspires me to be more intentional about looking for ways to affirm the ideas and desires of those around me rather than instinctively critique them.
It is one way to apply Proverbs 17:22: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” This week, perhaps you and I can speak life and cheer by declining to be the contrarian and instead responding with good cheer!
Next, God has been continually asking me (probably because I am slow to consistently follow through) to relinquish my need for human vindication, affirmation, or agreement. God’s Word is clear I should be after only His approval, not man’s (Gal. 1:10; 1 Thes. 2:4), and yet I am so eager to state my case and argue my defense. His Word is clear I am to prefer humility and to decline to praise myself (Pr. 27:2, Mic. 6:8), but my inclination is still to make it known what I have done—you know, just in case nobody else does.
In this way, “say less” is a reminder that I don’t need to vindicate, self-affirm, or brag on myself, and that remains true even if nobody else does my vindicating or affirming for me.
Why? Because my reward—and yours, if we will indeed be content to allow it—is in heaven.
There is more I could say, but given the topic, let’s leave it there. Let’s say less!