LOUDEST SILENCE
Proverbs 16:32
“Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.”
Twelve year old Cassie exclaimed at herself, “Stop that!” Cassie was trying to break the bad habit of biting her fingernails. So she sat on her hands.
Cassie thought about all the things her hands had already touched that day: her bare hands wiped dirt off the table, picked up a dead bug, braided Tameka’s hair, and even threw a softball to her cabin mates. She was disgusted with what she’d been chewing on inside her MOUTH!
“Ugh!” Cassie said aloud, examining her gnawed-off fingernails.
Rabbi Israel Salanter was a renowned rabbi from Lithuania in the 1800’s. He once said, “The loudest sound in the universe is the breaking of a bad habit.”
That pretty much sums up what Cassie is going through. She forgot why she began biting her fingernails. But Cassie will assure anyone, “It’s hard to stop a bad habit!” She will testify that the struggle she’s facing is internal, silent. She will definitely not celebrate her victory from biting her nails with biting her nails!
Cassie’s trying to be patient with herself, less angry. She wants to be more in control of this habit. She wants her growing nails to stop tempting her into chewing them off. Our inner self knows that we may stumble, but encourages us to keep trying. We stand up to the challenge of breaking personal bad habits, no matter how difficult.
The opening Scripture passage compares two levels of self-mastery. The first part acknowledges partial triumph, yet still struggles with temptation. Think of this as a warrior whose inner strength is greater than outward physical strength. Emotional muscle building—both internal and spiritual—is a greater invisible achievement than that of visible body-building.
However, the person has only reached part of the ultimate goal.
Take Home Nugget
The second part of this battle is mastering self-control. Think of capturing an entire city—or in Cassie’s case—the many parts of her body. Celebrate small victories. Expect setbacks. Believe that pesky bad habits can and will be overcome.
God created and equipped us to master bad habits. A moment of weakness does not define one’s character! Keep believing until achieving complete control over the entire body.
Being a camp cabin leader taught Cassie to rule the inner temptation of chewing her fingernails. At weeks end, she is finally victorious! Glancing down at her polished toenails, she smiles. Sliding her feet into sandals, she walks confidently outside.
Total victory is the level—a more godly person—that we all strive to reach.
Piercing the heavens with the loudest silence of great achievement brings personal victory and heavens' applause!
Adapted from “The Loudest Sound in the World” Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. April 5, 2016. Holy Land Moments.com.
J.D. Griffith
Here’s another eBook by J.D. Griffith:
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