Speak up or shut up?

Judges 16; Jeremiah 29; Mark 15; Acts 20

This morning my daily ‘flip’ chart said to rebuke faith-destroying talk, either in others or in myself. Sometimes I hear or read words that are contrary to what God says and think a rebuke but have not said it. Sometimes I say it after the fact when the person who spoke is not around, which is worse than silence. The reminder put my brain in gear and I started wondering how to rebuke negativity with the right attitude if noticing opportunities. A little knot in my stomach tells me that I’d rather not.

Today’s four readings added to my thoughts. Judges 16 tells of Sampson and Delilah. She was a schemer more interested in money than Sampson. She seduced him into revealing his source of strength and that led to his capture by the Philistines and soon after that, his death. She was a faith-destroyer, not a woman of God and this strong man tried lying to her but eventually gave in. He never once said that he served God or told her to stop undermining his obedience. This is the opposite of what it means to rebuke faith-destroying talk.

Jeremiah 16 tells how this prophet of God told His people that they were going into exile and what God wanted them to do while they were held captive:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare . . . . Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them . . . . When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you . . . . and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you . . . and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:4–14)

Jeremiah also rebuked the false prophets who kept telling these people they would soon be home and all would be fine. Because of his obedience to God, this man was not very popular.

Mark 15 is about the arrest of Jesus, His deliverance to Pilate and His crucifixion. Jesus is the extreme example. In this passage, He did answer His accusers yet not with words that would stop them from killing Him. He knew why He was here and what His Father wanted. He said enough to show His obedience but not enough to stop them. In other words, rebuking faith-destroying talk is never about protecting my own hide. It is always about the eternal well-being of others.

Acts 20 includes Paul’s testimony of what he did in his ministry. He describes it this way:

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:18–24)

Paul’s example tells me why I often am silent when I should speak up; I’m afraid of the consequences. He was not. He knew that telling the truth and sharing the gospel would get him into hot water but that was not his concern. He wanted people to hear what God gave him and share in the good news of Jesus Christ.

APPLY: No brainer. Pay attention and speak up when anyone, including myself, says words that are contrary to the Word of God. And be gracious in doing it.