“But they kept silent.” (Luke 14:4)

Those four words stuck with me this morning. But before I got to the Gospel, something happened while I was reading the first reading that I think is just as important.

I was reading Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and about halfway through, I realized I wasn’t reading it for myself. I was reading it for other people, thinking about how it applied to them.

So I stopped and asked the Holy Spirit to be my teacher. I needed to get in the backseat and let Him drive.

When I started reading again, I felt this wonderful sense of peace. For some reason, I could imagine Paul and Timothy writing that letter to me. I know they weren’t, but listen to these words:

“I hold you in my heart.”

And then Paul prays that our love may increase more and more, helping us discern what is of value.

That is beautiful.

I’ve got a difficult leadership decision in front of me. I disagree with the direction some others want to take. At first, I was willing to go along with it. Sometimes you just need to make a decision and move forward, right?

But the more I thought about it, the more I struggled. There are moral concerns involved, and I don’t believe we should overlook those just because making a different decision would be harder.

Then I came to Psalm 111. It speaks of God’s justice, His mercy, and His faithfulness. Those things belong together. Being merciful doesn’t mean ignoring what’s wrong, and being just doesn’t mean forgetting to love.

And then the Gospel.

Jesus asks whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath, and everyone remains silent.

I wonder why. Did someone know the answer but not want to speak up? Were they afraid of being criticized in front of everyone? Scripture doesn’t tell us.

But it made me think about myself.

How often do I remain silent because I don’t want to rock the boat? How often do I convince myself that going along is the prudent thing to do, when maybe it’s just the easier thing?

I wrote something in my journal today that I want to remember:

People over things, even when that means hard work.

That’s especially important when we’re entrusted with leading others. Decisions affect real people, and sometimes doing what’s right takes more work than doing what’s convenient.

But there’s another side to this. I also prayed to avoid pride and ego. Just because I believe I’m right doesn’t mean I can’t be wrong. I need the humility to listen, the wisdom to discern, and the courage to speak when I believe something isn’t right.

Maybe that’s why Paul’s prayer meant so much to me this morning. He didn’t just pray for good judgment. He prayed for love that grows in knowledge and discernment.

So my prayer today is that the Holy Spirit will continue to be my teacher. Lord, help me speak when I need to speak, listen when I need to listen, and always put people first. Give me the wisdom to recognize what’s right, the humility to accept when I’m wrong, and the courage to do the hard work.

Where in your life might you be choosing the easier path when God is asking you to speak or act with love and courage?

I pray you get the graces you need today.

Keep up the good fight.

I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.

Scripture: Philippians 1:1–11 | Psalm 111:1–6 | Luke 14:1–6