Should We Speak Out?

Author: Joseph

Date: January 27, 2019

This past week in the news headlines there have been many stories that are troublesome to hear. Aside from the motivation for profits news organizations make from people reading and viewing their content, what remains is that there are things happening in our world that tear at the hearts of the viewers. What causes this response? Is it moral disgust? Is it anger out of disagreement? Is it fear? I will not explore these questions, because as you will learn, these questions are misguided. It is not how we feel that is important, it is what we do in reaction.

New York signed into law that abortion is approved up until birth. A large corporation dismissed many workers that relied on their jobs for financial support. A dispute took place near a national landmark that caused a social media uproar. Some issues in the news media are worth investigating while other petty issues are not worth even thinking about. For an issue of significance, such as the abortion law in New York, what happens when someone publicly advocates against the issue? Usually there is a mixture of responses and often the advocate is left in a never-ending feud between those that support their position and those that oppose it. A better question is what would be the purpose in doing so? If the consequences are weighed, is the purpose worth it?

There is a wide-spread public belief that if something is shown or talked about many times that revolution will come from some higher authority. People bandwagon on social media to argue about an injustice or simply to claim the moral high-ground, gaining “likes” and other forms of support. They believe that someone or something is reading their arguments and will somehow claim them the victor. Newspapers are printed with claims that a certain population in the public is in an uproar even before that population has heard about the issue themselves. Articles are often published that seem to instigate a group of people and convince them to take action that they themselves never would have. Those that publish the news inherently claim to be more informed and to have the authority to inform others. Cameras are all around the world filming events that we would have never otherwise seen in our lifetime and then broadcasted in our homes and on various electronic platforms in public. These broadcasts also take on the same assumptions as the printed materials except they are able to gain the attention of various senses to evoke a response. None of these examples resolve the issues nor do they usually result in any good being done.

The Scripture talks about this very thing: the people of this world, those who are not of God, use insincere demands and repetitive requests to get what they desire from the thing or person they put their trust in. Most forms of public communication have degraded to this purpose and they fail to achieve their goal. Yeshua warned His disciples concerning this, saying, “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). People who are not of God do pray, but they don’t pray to God, they pray to each other and to the objects of their desire. So, should we, like those that do not believe in God, advocate and make public issues when we observe something that we think is wrongful? This depends on why and how you are attempting to do so.

The Scripture tells us what is righteous and what is evil, what is right and of God and what is wrong and of this world. God, however, is also not a book, He is a living God and He uses His Spirit to communicate with His people. We must be living in close communication with Him and reading His Word to have both the knowledge and the guidance to do and teach what His will is in any situation. When we start with that as a foundation, then we are ready to think about the issues in the world around us.

When we think about the issues around us and believe that we can perceive them in accordance with the Scripture and not violate our relationship with God, then the next step is bring those thoughts before God. The thoughts are then tested and revealed if they are according to His will and we are also instructed in what to do with the thoughts. By doing this, we ensure that we are in obedience to God (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Our response to the things that stir our hearts must be to seek God’s will and be obedient to what He reveals to us.

When John, the son of Zechariah, was executed by Herod, Yeshua did not gather the city to overthrow Herod because of the injustice. Yeshua didn’t say a word, although He could have gathered the support of many people. Herod himself had been afraid to execute John because he feared the people who regarded John as a prophet (Matthew 14:5). John had many supporters. Yeshua instead withdrew from the city and took a boat to a secluded place (Matthew 14:13). God’s will was not for Him to speak out, nor for Him to confront Herod. God’s will was for Yeshua to remain in silence and isolation for a short time.

When Jeremiah, the prophet, was first called by God, he was afraid and inadequate in his own perception (Jeremiah 1:5-9). Although he spoke out, according to God’s will, he was mocked and afflicted (Jeremiah 20:7-8). Yet, the prophet continued to speak as God’s voice because it was God’s will for him (Jeremiah 20:9-18).

Yeshua did not yield to the temptation to be praised by confronting Herod. He remained humble and waited upon God’s will for Himself and for Herod. Jeremiah understood that God’s word had to be spoken to the people and did so obediently, but gained nothing from it for himself. Jeremiah suffered in his obedience. Both Yeshua and Jeremiah understood that when speaking for God, it cannot come from their own desire, but must come from Him.

We are only effective in resolving issues and bringing about good when we speak and take action according to God’s will. If we speak on our own accord, we have no authority. So we must only speak what God instructs us if we truly desire to do good.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). www.lockman.org