Living Our Faith Out Loud
October 4, 2021 – I post my blog at 4:31 am. At 10:39 am CST – Facebook and Instagram — DOWN! What is going on? Is my internet down again? No, because I’m connecting to other sites. Have I been hacked? OR, like so many other Christian voices on social media I think: “Have I been blocked because of my outspoken Christian faith?” A certain amount of panic hit me. But then, I remember “I am simply the writer on behalf of THE WRITER so I give this concern to Him.” I call my brilliant tech man, my son, who advises me that Facebook and Instagram have a glitch going on. A glitch that ends up lasting six hours.
My issues were insignificant to the many global businesses that suffered because they rely on Facebook’s network. Thank goodness, we are all back in business. And I am back to being out loud and proud to be a Christian. I have been “out of the closet” for many years. If I had the cure for Covid and hid it in my “closet,” what kind of humanitarian would I be? I have the cure for depression, loneliness, discouragement, anger, sorrow, hopelessness, and fear. I know the Source for joy, peace and love. I can’t hide it. That’s why I share it every day. I love my friends too much to stay silent. I am not a loud, militant Christian who tells everybody who’s not thinking the way I do that they’re going to hell.
I’m a passionate Christian who speaks love boldly and loudly and that “true” love comes only with a faith and belief in God and His Word. While it’s comforting to find a place of solace and safety from the world, in our prayer closets, prayer corners or prayer chairs (my favorite spot), it’s time we come out of the “MY” places long enough to go into the world to boldly declare WHAT and WHO we stand for as Christians. Honestly, too many of us keep our Christianity to our “inside” voices. It’s time to let our lights shine brighter than ever. How can our voices be stifled when the voices of others who oppose God’s side are so loud?
“The squeaky wheel gets the oil)” is a phrase used to convey the idea that the most noticeable and loudest people and problems are the ones most likely to get attention. The silent, stealth-mode ones are often overlooked and neglected. I don’t prefer “rocking the boat”, but living in a community like I do, we’ve found that being “squeaky wheels” by expressing concerns to management pays off.
In this world we hear MANY squeaky wheels who are loud, angry, mocking-God-and-His-people voices; voices that oppose the 10 Commandments, God’s Word, morality, and God, Himself. Much attention is given to those most boisterous and loud. Christianity remains the largest religious group in the world at 31.1% with 2.382 billion people, yet we restrain our voices.
Jesus didn’t call us to be passive or closet disciples. He gave us stern warnings about denying Him. “But whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33) Keeping our faith to ourselves isn’t the “light” that Jesus said we should be. He told us to go into all the world with Him. Our faith was made to be made public, and we cannot do that silently. There are controversial groups who have “come out of the closet” and their voices are VERY, VERY loud. It’s time for us to stop hiding in our closets and declare Whose side we are on.