At the end of the day, what do you want to be known for? Your opinions, or your Savior?
“It’s better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” —Somebody really wise…maybe Abraham Lincoln, possibly Mark Twain.
We live in an age where silence feels unnatural. A tragedy unfolds, a cultural controversy erupts, or a headline shocks the world, and within minutes, the expectation is that everyone must say something. To remain silent is often interpreted as ignorance, indifference, or even complicity. And so we rush to our keyboards or phones, offering our thoughts, opinions, and emotions to the digital public square.
But as Christians, we must ask: is this constant commenting good for us? Is it what we’re called to do? Does it serve the gospel of Jesus Christ? Or does it slowly chip away at our witness, conflating the hope of the cross with the noise of partisan politics, cultural tribalism, or shallow virtue signaling?
Holding our tongue (or keyboard) remains a virtue.
I want to posit that not only is it unnecessary to weigh in on every cultural event and tragedy, it is actually healthier for our soul and more faithful to Christ to resist that urge. Holding our tongue (or keyboard) remains a virtue. And in an age of endless opinions, our silence can speak volumes about where our true hope lies.
The Virtue of Restraint
Scripture speaks often about the danger of words. Proverbs 17:28 reminds us: “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” And James writes soberly: “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19).
In other words, restraint is wisdom. To be slow with our words is not cowardice, but humility. It recognizes that our immediate reaction may not be wise, our emotions may not be pure, and our perspective may not be complete.
The digital world tempts us to do the opposite. Social media is built on immediacy, on hot takes and quick reactions. Waiting, praying, and reflecting feel unnatural when the world is moving so quickly. But that is precisely why restraint is so radical, so countercultural, and so Christian.
When Opinions Become Idols
The danger of constantly sharing our opinions is not simply that we might be wrong (though that is often the case). The deeper danger is that our opinions can become idols. We begin to believe that what the world needs most is our commentary, our wisdom, our clarity on every issue.
But what the world most needs is not our opinions, but Christ. Our neighbors do not ultimately need to know what we think about the latest political debate or cultural firestorm. They need to know the gospel: that Jesus Christ has died for sinners, that he is risen, and that forgiveness and eternal life are offered in him.
When we fill our conversations, our social media feeds, and our relationships with endless commentary on the news cycle, we risk drowning out the one message that actually saves. We may even begin to confuse the gospel itself with our political opinions, as if being “right” on political issues is tantamount to rightly understanding the message of Christ.
Free to Be Misunderstood
One of the most freeing truths of the gospel is that we do not have to defend ourselves in every situation. Christ has justified us; we no longer need to justify ourselves. That includes the realm of cultural and political debates.
Imagine if the first thing people thought of when they thought of us and our churches was not our political alignment, not our cultural commentary, but the simple, life-giving truth of Jesus crucified and risen.
It is okay if people do not know where we stand on every issue. It is okay if our silence leads them to wonder. It is okay if they even misinterpret our silence. Why? Because we are not called to be known for our stances on the controversies of the day. We are called to be known for Christ.
The apostle Paul put it simply: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Imagine if that were our reputation. Imagine if the first thing people thought of when they thought of us and our churches was not our political alignment, not our cultural commentary, but the simple, life-giving truth of Jesus crucified and risen.
The Soul-Crushing Weight of Constant Outrage
Another reason to embrace restraint is the toll that constant engagement takes on our souls. The news cycle is relentless, and outrage is addictive. We convince ourselves that we are being faithful by staying informed and speaking out, but often what we are really doing is feeding a fleshly appetite for anger, self-righteousness, and tribal belonging.
This is not good for us. It hardens our hearts, distracts us from prayer, saps our joy in Christ and divides us from one another. Instead of cultivating the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness—we cultivate suspicion, anger, and division.
By holding back, by resisting the urge to speak into every issue, we are actually protecting our hearts. We are creating space to grieve, to pray, and to let the Word of God shape our response before the world does.
Silence That Testifies
Now, to be clear: silence is not always the answer. There are moments when faithfulness requires speech, when injustice must be confronted, when the vulnerable must be defended, when the gospel itself is under attack. To remain silent in such moments can indeed be unfaithful.
But those moments are rare compared to the endless stream of cultural controversies that fill our timelines. And when we do speak, our words should be measured, prayerful, and saturated with the love and truth of Christ, not simply echoes of the world’s anger or fear.
In most cases, however, silence itself can testify. It testifies that our hope does not rise or fall with the news cycle. It testifies that we are not enslaved to outrage. It testifies that we are secure enough in Christ to let others wonder about our opinions without feeling the need to broadcast them.
Known for the Gospel
At the end of the day, what do you want to be known for? Your opinions, or your Savior?
The gospel is too precious, too powerful, and too unique to be diluted by partisan noise. We must not confuse the promise of Christ with the suffocating law of partisan politics. Nothing will silence our testimony of Jesus Christ faster than confusing it with the talking points of our political tribe. If people walk away from us knowing what side we are on in every cultural battle, but not knowing the forgiveness of sins in Christ, we have failed them.
Let the gospel be what you are known for. Let your reputation be Christ and him crucified. Hold your tongue when your opinion is not needed, and open your mouth boldly when the gospel is at stake.
In an age of endless words, such restraint will not only guard your soul, it will magnify your Savior.
