photo by wwarby
We live in a world where it’s easy to share our opinions. Which restaurant we like. What movie is the best. How we think our town/country/the world should be run. When speaking up is as easy as a facebook status update, it can feel like we have an obligation to chime in on everything–especially on moral issues.
But I’m not sure that’s how we’re called to live. And I feel concern about the consequences that can come when people simply broadcast their thoughts outside the context of an ongoing relationship with the people hearing them. It can come across as condescending, self-righteous, and most of all, divisive.
This isn’t a new struggle. Back in the early days of the church believers were debating issues too. And here’s what Paul said: “Whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God” {Romans 14:22}
In other words, don’t cause division by announcing your opinion on everything. It’s not our job to play the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of everyone on our facebook page or twitter feed. And how often does a pronouncement of “truth” result in a truly changed heart? I don’t think it ever does. God isn’t concerned about outward behavior, he’s concerned about transformation. And that happens in individual lives through love.
Peter–a man known for being outspoken–says that we’re even when we’re asked direct questions we’re to be to be careful. He says the way to respond is always with “gentleness and respect” {1 Peter 3:15}. Like I said before, gentleness is powerful.
Can we speak less and listen more?
Can we hold back from sharing our opinions and instead seek to reach out so we can understand?
Can we let our lives speak first so that people want to know what’s going on because we love in a different way than anyone they’ve ever met?
Words are powerful, friends. Let’s be careful how we use them so we don’t wound people without meaning to do so. Let’s “speak the truth in love” {Eph. 4:15}–which I believe most often means in the context of an intimate relationship in which you have earned that right–or not speak at all.
It’s okay to keep quiet sometimes. Those moments of silence in a noisy world can sometimes be the loudest of all when it comes to love.
XOXO
Holley Gerth
