Wisdom in the Silence

Don't you just abhor being taunted? I know I do, and there are some people in my life who just feel it is their life duty to pick and pick and pick at me. These people are wanting to see how long it will take me to crack my calmness and plain out rouse me.
These people knew me before my walk with Christ and knew at one point in my life I could be a real hothead. They want to be able to prove I'm still the same person I once was. Ultimately, they are trying to prove that God didn't do a major work in me (Philippians 1:6) and transform me into a new person (Romans 12:2). But God did! He is molding me into Christ's likeness, and no matter how much I am taunted, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I may mess up every once in a while, I might have a slip of the tongue on the harsh side, but I know God is working this all out. "The godly think before speaking; the wicked sport evil words." Proverbs 15:28.
Jesus is our example, and we should follow Him. When the Pharisees were trying to capture Him and use His own words against Him, Jesus was staying calm. The Pharisees were taunting Jesus, yet Jesus was ignoring them. "They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger." John 8:6. When Jesus was ready to speak he would only speak from Wisdom and calmness, not rashness on the side of rage. He knew that Silence was Golden, He didn't have to go to the AMC. "They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, 'All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones! Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust." John 8:7-8. Jesus wasn't about to let them change His attitude of holiness to anger. He wasn't going to let their taunts drag Him to the ground. He was acting out of silence to be able to give Wisdom, knowing that His calmness would eventually break their pestering instead of them breaking His joy. "When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman." John 8:9.
When we are following Jesus fully, we should be transformed into His likeness. And if we are transformed into His likeness we should be more like "Him". So, the next time someone is trying to break the peace and joy that God has built within you, follow Jesus' example and remain silent. For in the silence Wisdom is grown!
¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20.