Silent Wisdom

Job continues his response in chapter 13. The first five verses offer us all a lesson in comforting those in grief. Here are Job's words:

1"My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.
3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.
4 You, however, smear me with lies;you are worthless physicians, all of you!
5 If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

His friends are speaking to him as if they have some special insight on the life of Job because they are on the outside looking in. Too often we take the right to judge because of a supposed objectivity. We look at other people's situation and think that somehow because we're not so directly affected that we have the "true" perspective. But Job says no! He will not give up his right to assess his situation just because he is in it.

We look to those who grieve or mourn, those who are down and out or depressed, and convince ourselves that we have the right reason and logic, that if only they could step outside and look at the situation from another perspective they'd see the reality of their situation. There is some truth in this, but sometimes we are better "comforters" when we allow those who mourn to mourn with all their soul to God. When we allow them to be as sorrowful and sick as they want while we simply stand by their side in silence; because sometimes there is more wisdom in our silence than in our words.