Why do we remain silent?
Why do Jesus-loving people clam up about deeply held truth?
Why are we not talking about all God is, all He does, and the stakes of not choosing Jesus in most conversations?
Why do we stay quiet, hoping someone else will speak up or hoping our lives will do all the talking when we know
- Of all His creations, God gifted us with the spoken word
- We are created to speak about God, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" 1 Peter 2:9.
- He is worthy
- There is no other way to God, to eternal life, to salvation, except through Jesus and many people still don't know that.
Why remain silent, indeed?
God has been marrying two thoughts about this in my mind. I don't like these thoughts. They are uncomfortable thoughts that require me to change my ways. They cause me to repent.
But now that I see the connection through Scripture, I can't look away.
The first thought is this: idols are silent. Idols don't speak.
Our God speaks.
Psalm 115:4-8 says, "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them."
People who trust in idols become silent like those idols.
Our God speaks. He is the Word, the Living Word.
Our God communicates. He made us in His image. So, even if we're living Godly lives ("good lives") of integrity — to represent God fully, we must sometimes use words.
When we find ourselves silencing ourselves when we know we should speak, I believe it can be a sign that we've slipped into idolatry:
Perhaps we're venerating the idol of comfort and convenience.
It's neither comfortable nor convenient to speak about Jesus these days. It requires an investment of thought and planning on our part. It may require time or study. It may cause discomfort in others, and they may communicate this discomfort to us.
And yet, if we seek comfort in silence rather than in the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) then we have slipped into idolatry. Maybe we're bowing to the idol of being acceptable and liked, of pleasing people.
I've been reading the Book of Matthew. Again and again, he mentions that the religious rulers were "afraid of the people."
We like being liked. That's natural. It's human.
But we also willingly accept the lie that we need the power of being liked and accepted to share the gospel. The early church demonstrated that's not true.
They were arrested, beaten, run out of synagogues, run out of towns, and most of them were eventually martyred. But we're here today because they loved truth more than they desired being acceptable and liked by people.
"Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." John 12:42-43. Some of us may seek shelter under the idol of safety.
It's not always safe in our times to speak biblical truth. It can cost us social contacts, jobs, sometimes financial gain, and in parts of the world, it can cost a person their life.
So, we run to silence believing it will save us. We fear being hurt — emotionally, socially, financially, physically, or by reputation.
But we already know decisions made from fear lead us to idolatry.
Allow me to let you in on a secret — we're going to get hurt anyway. The world is a hurtful place. Better to be hurt speaking truth than hiding inside the faulty protective gear of silence.
Paul wrote this in 2 Timothy 4:18: "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
If we believe in God, we must also believe God. Do we believe God? Jesus told us how to rightly order our fears.
Jesus said:
"'I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows'" Luke 12:4-7.
If we believe Him, we fear (trust, respect, worship, obey) Him alone.
There is a time for everything, including a time to be silent, but the pandemic of silence the church has currently embraced is not representative of those who came before us.
When Peter and John were arrested and warned not to speak any longer about Jesus, they defied that order, fearing God more than the religious authorities of the day.
They gathered with the early church and prayed, not for safety nor deliverance but for boldness.
"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness" Acts 4:29.
Beware of remaining silent. It's not the shelter we believe it to be. Sometimes it's an idol that cannot deliver what we need.
It will never be easier to speak biblical truth and to share the gospel than it is today. Adapted from Lori Roeleveld Devotions
There are many, but let's pray over a few:
Idol of comfort and convenience
Idol of being acceptable
Idol of pleasing people
Idol of safety (real or imagined)
Idol of being hurt (physically, financially, emotionally)
Prayer: Father in heaven. Forgive me. Forgive my falling into silence because of the idols in my life. Forgive me for setting up idols of comfort and convenience, of being accepted by others who do not love You. Forgive me for serving idols of pleasing people or acting like them so I can feel safe. Forgive me for being fearful of being hurt - although I have already been hurt and will probably be hurt again. I would rather be hurt for Your sake than for some ego-driven, false sense of being part of the crowd. Thank You Lord Jesus for giving me the warning, the direction, the strength and the words to tell about Your goodness to all I encounter. I pray and give thanks in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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