最大化沉默的力量
2025年12月15日By Chris Simpson
最大化沉默的力量
MAXIMIZING THE POWER OF CLOSED LIPS
幾年前，我參加了一場與多個部門的高級主管，所進行的高層會議。這些聽眾可沒有那麼容易被説服。我們當時正在討論領導力中的誠信議題，我結束發言時，拋出了一個尖銳的挑戰：「在沒有人監督的時候，堅持做正確的事，會讓你付出什麼代價呢？」接著，我就不再開口。沒有巧妙的結語。沒有轉換到下一張投影片。只有沉默。
這就是明智的沉默所發揮的作用。它不是逃避責任，也不是示弱的信號。它能放大意義，它能引發反思。而對於基督徒領袖而言，它還展現出更偉大的東西：對於神的主權，以及你已經確立忠心的人生軌道，深刻的信心。
我們習慣性地認為，好的領導力在於擁有最精闢的答案、最有力的聲音，或是最果斷的行動。然而，天國的領導力也包括明智的沉默這項原則，特別是當你知道，你已經秉持著公義去引導、以敬虔的意圖去規劃，現在可以安息其中的時候。耶穌站在彼拉多面前，被指控、受壓迫、遭誤解：「耶穌仍不回答，連一句話也不說，以致巡撫甚覺希奇。」(馬太福音27章14節)
讓事情沉澱下來。神的兒子，完全能夠用一句話就拆穿每一個謊言，而祂卻選擇了沉默。 這並不是被動，這是完美掌控之下的力量。這是一種領導力，它的根基不在於形象，而在於順服；不在於表現，而在於意義。耶穌的沉默不是不確定，而是對父神計劃堅定不移的信靠。它在說：「我不必為自己辯護。使命已經在運行了。」這正是我們在職場上所需要的姿態：設定好你的方向，以公義引導，以敬虔的意圖規劃，然後安息。 你錨定於神的指引時，就不必用自我辯護來填補每一個停頓，也不必慌亂地爭取共識。
在今天的職場上，聲量就是貨幣：一場一場的策略會議、快速連發的訊息、持續不斷的「個人品牌塑造」。我們被告知要不斷發言、不斷表達意見、不斷保持曝光。但是，如果你本週最具塑造性的領導作為，不在於你說了什麼，而在於你選擇不說什麼，那會怎麼樣呢？
運用得當時，沉默可以：
• 騰出讓智慧浮現的空間－無論是來自於你自己，還是他人。
• 將焦點從自我辯解，轉移到檢視真理。
• 展現情商與屬靈的成熟度。
• 展現不焦慮的存在－不需要完全掌控，也能領導整個空間的人。
• 引導人們反思什麽是永恆的事物，而不僅僅是戰術層面的事情。
在會議中，恰到好處的停頓可以成為一扇門。這不是操控，而是服事。它讓你所秉持的聖經世界觀，迴盪得比任何推銷說辭都更加響亮。當你已經設定了忠心的人生軌道時，沉默就比較少是出於猶豫，而更多是出於穩健且信靠神的領導力。在反應式領導的文化中，願意暫停下來、深入聆聽、謹慎措辭，並且擁抱聖潔靜默的基督徒，是從不同的源頭進行領導。這樣的領導力不只是帶來成果；它還能塑造靈魂。
@2025 Christopher C. Simpson致力於在全球職場上，培養勇敢且得勝的基督信仰，這份熱忱源於他對福音轉化力量的深刻信念。在擔任國際CBMC總幹事之前，Chris在公部門貢獻了長達二十八年的卓越職業生涯－曾經擔任美國海軍陸戰隊的指揮官；在美國特勤局服役，負責保護七位美國總統，並且在複雜而高危的國際任務中領導精銳團隊。Chris與他的妻子Ana（尼加拉瓜裔）居住在佛羅里達州博卡拉頓。
反省與問題討論
第一、在你的職涯中，是否有過沉默勝於雄辯的經歷呢？那次的經歷，如何影響了對話或會議的結果呢？它又傳達了，關於你的領導力的哪些信息呢？
第二、在你當前的角色或是職場環境中，「設定忠心的人生軌道」是什麼樣子呢？有意識地以敬虔的動機進行規劃，如何能夠賦予你信心，讓你在領導時，不必總是為自己辯護或解釋呢？
第三、在「聲量就是貨幣」的文化中，你可以採取哪些實際步驟，來抵制不斷發言、發文，或是推銷的壓力呢？這些選擇，可能會如何影響你所屬職場的屬靈氛圍呢？
第四、耶穌在彼拉多面前的沉默，根植於祂對天父計劃的信靠。在工作中有哪些情況，你發現會最難保持沉默呢？而信靠神的主權，可以如何改變你的應對方式呢？
挑戰思考
設定你的方向。相信你已經秉持公義去引導、以敬虔的意圖去規劃，然後安息其中。你不需要為了擠出最後一句話而掙扎，也不需要費力去填補沉默。忠心的人生軌道所帶來的信心，能夠讓你堅定站立而不退縮，並且比任何恐慌的聲音，更能有力地發聲。本週，下定決心不只是用腦海中想到的詞語，來填滿空隙。善加管理你的沉默。因為有時候，在職場上，最響亮的信心之舉就是「決定不說話的選擇」。你可能會發現與他人討論這件事，將有所幫助彼此給予及接受鼓勵，並且向神禱告，尋求何時該說話，以及何時不該說話的智慧。
備註：如果你有聖經，想閱讀更多相關的內容，請參考下面的經文 : (因篇幅有限，請自行參閱未列出的經文：箴言15章2、4、7、23節)
箴言10章19、32節
10:19多言多語難免有過；節制嘴唇是有智慧。
10:32 義人的嘴唇懂得令人喜悅；惡人的口只知乖謬。
箴言11章12節
11:12 藐視鄰舍的，便是無知；聰明人卻靜默不言。
箴言12章14節
12:14 人因口所結的果實，必飽得美福；人手所做的，必歸到自己身上。
箴言13章3節
13:3 謹慎守口的，得保生命；大張嘴唇的，必致敗亡。
箴言17章28節
17:28 愚妄人若靜默不言，可算為智慧，閉上嘴唇也可算為聰明。
箴言18章21節
18:21 生死在舌頭的掌握之下，喜愛弄舌的，必吃它所結的果實。
以弗所書4章29節
4:29 污穢的言語一句不可出口，只要隨事說造就人的好話，叫聽見的人得益處。
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MAXIMIZING THE POWER OF CLOSED LIPS
MONDAY MANNAMAXIMIZING THE POWER OF CLOSED LIPS
By Chris Simpson
A few years ago, I was in a high-stakes meeting with senior executives from multiple sectors – an audience not easily impressed. We were discussing integrity in leadership, and I had just finished speaking when I ended with a pointed challenge: “What would it cost you to do what’s right when no one’s watching?” Then I stopped talking. No clever close. No pivot to the next slide. Just silence.
I looked; I made eye contact. Five seconds, then 10. At first, people shifted in their chairs, waiting for me to finish the script they had written in their heads. But as the silence stretched, the atmosphere changed. They leaned in. The weight of the question didn’t fade – it deepened. The silence gave it room to breathe.
That is what wise silence does. It does not retreat from responsibility or signal weakness. It magnifies meaning. It invites reflection. And for the Christian leader, it reveals something greater: a deep confidence in God’s sovereignty and in the faithful trajectory you have already set.
We are conditioned to think good leadership is about having the sharpest answer, the strongest voice, or the most decisive action. But kingdom leadership also includes the discipline of discerned silence, especially when you know you have led with righteousness, planned with godly intention, and can now rest in it. Jesus stood before Pilate, accused, pressured, and misunderstood: “But He gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.” (Matthew 27:14).
Let that settle in. The Son of God, fully able to dismantle every lie with a word, chose silence. This was not passivity. This was power under perfect control. It was leadership grounded not in image, but in obedience. Not in performance, but in purpose. Jesus’ silence was not uncertainty; it was unshakable trust in the God the Father’s plan. It said, “I don’t need to defend myself. The mission is already in motion.” That is the posture we need in the marketplace: set your course, lead with righteousness, plan with godly intention, and then rest. You do not have to fill every pause with self-defense or scramble for consensus when you are anchored in God’s direction.
In today’s marketplace, noise is currency – strategy sessions, rapid-fire messages, constant “personal branding.” We are told to always speak, always weigh in, always stay visible. But what if your most formative leadership move this week is not what you say – but what you choose not to say?
When utilized well, silence can:
•Give space for wisdom to emerge – from you or from others.
•Shift focus from self-justification to truth-examination.
•Model emotional intelligence and spiritual maturity.
•Demonstrate a non-anxious presence – someone who doesn’t need to dominate the room to lead it.
•Invite reflection on what’s eternal, not just what’s tactical.
A well-placed pause in a meeting can become a doorway. It’s not manipulation, it’s ministry. It allows the biblical worldview you carry to echo louder than any pitch can. And when you have already set a faithful trajectory, silence becomes less about hesitation and more about steady, God-trusting leadership. In a culture of reactive leadership, the Christian who pauses, listens deeply, speaks sparingly, and embraces holy stillness, leads from a different source. Such leadership doesn’t just get results; it shapes souls
© 2025. C.C. Simpson is dedicated to fostering a bold and triumphant Christian faith within the global marketplace. Before becoming President of CBMC International, Chris dedicated 28 years to a distinguished career in the public sector – as a Commanding Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps; and serving in the U. S. Secret Service, responsible for protecting seven American presidents and leading elite teams in complex, high-stakes international missions. With his wife Ana, Chris resides in Boca Raton, Florida.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
1. When have you experienced a moment in your professional life in which silence spoke louder than words? How did it impact the outcome of the conversation or meeting, and what did it communicate about your leadership?
2. What does “setting a faithful trajectory” look like in your current role or business environment? How can intentional planning with godly motives give you the confidence to lead without always having to defend or explain yourself?
3. In a culture where “noise is currency,” what practical steps can you take to resist the pressure to always speak, post, or promote? How might those choices influence the spiritual climate of your workplace?
4. Jesus’ silence before Pilate was rooted in His trust in the Father’s plan. In what situations at work do you find it most difficult to remain silent, and how could trusting God’s sovereignty change your approach?
Challenge for This Week
Set your course. Trust that you have led with righteousness and planned with godly intention, then rest in it. You do not need to hustle for the last word or fight to fill the silence. The confidence of a faithful trajectory lets you stand still without backing down, and it preaches louder than panic ever could.
This week, resolve not to just fill the air with words that come to mind. Steward your silence. Because sometimes, the loudest act of faith in the marketplace is the choice – the choice not to speak. You might find it helpful to discuss this with someone else, receiving and giving encouragement, and praying for God’s wisdom regarding when to speak. And when not to speak.
NOTE:
If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages:
Proverbs 10:19,32, 11:12, 12:14, 13:3, 15:2,4,7,23, 17:28, 18:21; Ephesians 4:29
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