A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. ~ Proverbs 11:12
Every man has a weakness—an Achilles Heel that might ruin him without the support of others. Every man must discover his weakness and rally support from those who care about him. Men need other men to watch their blind spots. I am convinced that men must lock arms with other men to become their best version.
Let me share a personal example. My greatest strength is the ability to see a problem, strategize, and react. I have tremendous natural intuition when it comes to people and obstacles.
Conversely, one of my greatest weaknesses (I have many) is to overreact without thinking through a situation before opening my big mouth. In response to this Achilles Heel, I’ve rallied men to my side who are even-keeled and calm. These elite men have the permission to call me out. They have locked arms with my weaknesses.
Here’s what I am learning about holding my tongue, thanks to one of these men. First, remain calm. Pray. Stop. Hold your tongue, and think about your next response. Second, don’t react (or overreact in my case). Anxious people under high alert look for any reason to go off. Refusing to react is a calming force to potentially volatile people. Third, don’t react to other people’s reactions. Remain calm when others have lost control. One’s stress doesn’t need to be your stressor. Use restraint and hold your tongue. Pray for a calm response. Fourth, define yourself, and the person you are with, saying something like, “Hey Mike, that’s not who you are. Knowing what you believe I am surprised to hear that from you.” Lastly, keep your eyes on Jesus. He defined, made, and commissioned us who believe.
Who is strong where you are weak? Who is calm when you are about to lose it? Who has locked arms with you as you seek to become your best version in Jesus? Better yet, who have you locked arms with?
