Courage To Speak
"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." - Proverbs 31:8-9
There is a kind of silence that dresses itself up as neutrality, and it fools almost everyone, starting with the person keeping it.
We tell ourselves we are staying out of it. We tell ourselves we are keeping the peace, being professional, choosing our battles, waiting for more information. But when injustice is happening in front of you and you say nothing, you are not neutral. Silence always communicates something.
It tells the person being wronged that their suffering was not worth your discomfort. And it tells the person doing the wrong that what they did is acceptable here.
Proverbs does not leave room for that. Open your mouth. Not eventually. Not once you have perfect words. Open your mouth for those who have no voice in the room, and defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Notice that this instruction was given to a king. It was advice for someone with power about how to use it, and that is the part that should land on us. Most of us hold more influence somewhere than we admit. In a meeting. In a family. On a group text. In a hiring decision. The question is never whether you have a voice. The question is what you spend it on.
And it will cost you. Let us be honest about that instead of pretending otherwise. It might cost you a comfortable friendship. It might cost you a smooth afternoon at work. It might cost you the assumption that you are easy to get along with.
You might be saying, "Pastor, I am not a confrontational person." I understand, and you do not have to become someone you are not. Courage is not volume. Some of the bravest words ever spoken were spoken quietly by someone whose hands were shaking. What matters is that they were spoken.
The alternative is a faith that stays comfortable and quiet while people suffer, and that is not the faith Jesus modeled. He spoke when it was unpopular. He named injustice by its actual name. He challenged the powerful in public, and it is a large part of why the powerful wanted him gone.
Is there a situation in your life right now where someone needs you to speak? Ask God for the courage to open your mouth this week, and then open it.
God gave you that voice on purpose. Do not bury it!
Prayer:
God, give us voices for those who are not being heard. Take our fear of what people will think and replace it with a holy boldness that reflects your love for justice. Help us speak with courage and with kindness. Amen.
There is a kind of silence that dresses itself up as neutrality, and it fools almost everyone, starting with the person keeping it.
We tell ourselves we are staying out of it. We tell ourselves we are keeping the peace, being professional, choosing our battles, waiting for more information. But when injustice is happening in front of you and you say nothing, you are not neutral. Silence always communicates something.
It tells the person being wronged that their suffering was not worth your discomfort. And it tells the person doing the wrong that what they did is acceptable here.
Proverbs does not leave room for that. Open your mouth. Not eventually. Not once you have perfect words. Open your mouth for those who have no voice in the room, and defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Notice that this instruction was given to a king. It was advice for someone with power about how to use it, and that is the part that should land on us. Most of us hold more influence somewhere than we admit. In a meeting. In a family. On a group text. In a hiring decision. The question is never whether you have a voice. The question is what you spend it on.
And it will cost you. Let us be honest about that instead of pretending otherwise. It might cost you a comfortable friendship. It might cost you a smooth afternoon at work. It might cost you the assumption that you are easy to get along with.
You might be saying, "Pastor, I am not a confrontational person." I understand, and you do not have to become someone you are not. Courage is not volume. Some of the bravest words ever spoken were spoken quietly by someone whose hands were shaking. What matters is that they were spoken.
The alternative is a faith that stays comfortable and quiet while people suffer, and that is not the faith Jesus modeled. He spoke when it was unpopular. He named injustice by its actual name. He challenged the powerful in public, and it is a large part of why the powerful wanted him gone.
Is there a situation in your life right now where someone needs you to speak? Ask God for the courage to open your mouth this week, and then open it.
God gave you that voice on purpose. Do not bury it!
Prayer:
God, give us voices for those who are not being heard. Take our fear of what people will think and replace it with a holy boldness that reflects your love for justice. Help us speak with courage and with kindness. Amen.
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2 Comments
Good Morning Pastor Coates
nI am my mother’s and I am my father’s only biological daughter.
nMy parents both married other people.
nThis is important because I kept a lot of things from them. I have always had jobs in leadership and customer service. I never took time to worry about myself because I love serving others. When I started experiencing Domestic Violence I never told my family. I was protecting the other person. I was concerned about my older parents, being embarrassed, feeling guilty and thinking I did something wrong. None of this is a valid reason for silence. This is lesson learned and silence doesn’t save people. Silence kept me isolated.
n
nThank you Pastor Coates you have an incredible vision and mission for MEBC and our community. It’s working. It’s Go Time for all of US!!!!
This resonates with what is happening today in this horrible climate of hate. We need to continue to speak up about the hypocrisy we see! I thank you Pastor Coates for not following the status quo of being comfortable in your ministry but participating in action against corruption and greed !