8
February 2016 • SR
The
Silence. It’s a tricky issue. As a Christian, I want to let God speak through
me, but I also want to know when I should keep quiet. Which is
appropriate in this situation? If I bring the Bible into this conversation,
will it be encouraging or distancing? I want to show my faith
in a positive light. What if talking pushes this person
even farther away from God?
This is my train of thought so often
when I see an opportunity to bring up
my faith with a non-believer, and I’m sure
that other people feel the same way.
In so many cases, the line between pushy
and silent is so hard to see that we err on the side of silence every time.
We know that constant silence isn’t an option — that’s what this whole
Sabbath Recorder
is about. But I understand the concern most Christians have, especially when talking to
non-believers, about God’s point of view on social issues.
Silence is often easily justified. “I am remaining silent in love,” we tell
ourselves, and we guiltlessly let someone else proclaim God’s word.
This can happen in our lives so often that we stop noticing. We stop
finding opportunities to allow God to speak through us. That makes
silence a really hard habit to break. Thinking about breaking a habit so
ingrained might seem overwhelming, even impossible. If you’re feeling
overwhelmed at the thought of trying to break your silence, let me give
you a challenge. I want to give you somewhere to start.
Deuteronomy 32:3 declares,
“I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh,
praise the greatness of our God!”
(NIV). Every good thing comes from
God. He is working every day in your life. Every single thing that happens
to you is part of His plan. He deserves our praise when things are going
right and when things are going dreadfully wrong. As Christians, we know
this. It is what we live for; God’s plan and goodness are what keeps us
going no matter what.
