Talk When It’s Tough

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

By nature, I’m a very talkative person. I love having discussions with people about all sorts of topics – from what I saw on TV to what my plans for the weekend are to what I read in my devotions… I just love to talk! I’m an extrovert!

I do stay away from “bad” topics, though. I don’t like talking about politics with most people and I stay away from controversial issues in the news. I like to just stay in my happy place. Even if something is happening in the world that I think is wrong, I don’t usually speak on it because I don’t want people to get angry at me and I don’t want to be attacked.

Besides talking, another thing I love to do is read powerful quotes about the Lord. A lot of times they encourage me and I just need to share them. I love encouraging others. You can probably gather that I love going out with a fire in the belly and trying to make a difference in people’s lives to the glory of God. I have a desire to make a change. I love making a difference.

Well, the other day while I was googling quotes about God, I came across one from Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

“If any earthly institution or custom conflicts with God’s will, it is your Christian duty to oppose it. You must never allow the transitory, evanescent demands of man-made institutions to take precedence over the eternal demands of the Almighty God.”

That’s a very powerful, bold, and wordy quote that you will probably need to read 2 or 3 times in order to fully grasp it – go ahead, read it again! It’s great. To say that that quote convicted me would be an understatement. I realized that as a Christian, I can’t just stay in a happy little bubble. I need to talk about the “uncomfortable” issues, as we all do. I need to speak out about things that conflict with God’s will – hard topics – and continuously try to oppose them as Mr. King said. We must speak in love and without fear of persecution.

Jesus said “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19).

The enemy wants us to feel uncomfortable talking about hard issues and to keep our mouths shut. If something opposes God’s will, it’s evil, so of course Satan wants that to be seen as normal. We need to speak against it. Remember – “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

We know by reading books like Matthew and Revelation that the world will become increasingly evil. We are the light of the world, though, and we need to be a light in the darkness. If we want to make a change – and that’s something I really want, is to make a change – we can’t be afraid. The Christian walk is difficult, but it’s also so fulfilling and so amazing if we step out of our comfort zones for God. He can’t use someone to make a change if they are stuck on always being comfortable. God can use us in such powerful ways, we just need to step out of our comfort zones without fear and let Him.

Erin

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She had served on Summer Staff since 2011, and this past summer had the unique opportunity of co-directing Children’s Ministry with one of her best friends. She is very excited to continue to build relationships with the guests and be very involved in the ministry.