Speaking life and faith are the key to life itself.
We as human beings in general are social. I don’t mean we all like parties. I mean we are unable to develop, even survive, without strong connections with others.
Sometimes for some people they end up deciding, for one lame reason or another, that they are special in a very special way. Somewhere along the line they swallowed and digested a lie that went right to the center of their souls. It was like a virus that took over their good thoughts about the importance of loving and caring for others as we should love and care for ourselves, and replaced this with a slightly twisted idea that they are God’s gift to humanity.
Some cults and secret societies teach things like this.
The net result is the formation of people who are completely comfortable enslaving others for their own benefits.
This can be on the micro level with an abusive husband, wife, or child that damages and sometimes destroys families from within.
Or it can be on the macro level where people take over the levers of power in corporations, schools, churches, governments, or at its most destructive to the most people, as dictators and tyrants.
When ordinary people find themselves being intimidated, the first thing that seems to go are words. They become afraid to speak out, to oppose the vocal minority. They are cowed into silence. Eventually they can shut down even their own thoughts in fear and then end up telling themselves lies about who they themselves are and what is really right and wrong.
The interesting thing when we study history is that often entire nations built on intimidation and deceit begin to crumble and fall when the silent, solitary, and apparently powerless few in the world’s eyes begin to speak truth for the sake of love.
True words can bring down strongholds. And these true words, once spoken, can awaken the silent majority.
All of a sudden everything can change.
Our faith, made up of words we have come to trust more than life itself, is what God uses to change, first us, and then our surrounding world.
This is how love always overcomes darkness.
By Faith
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the people of old received their commendation.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
And what more shall I say?
For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 11:1 - 12:2 (ESV)
By sharing our faith, you and I join this cloud of witnesses, so hang in there brothers and sisters, the best is yet to come!
I know the section taken from the book of Hebrews is a bit long, but no apologies. Read it carefully. For example, it isn’t obvious to most of us the link between the spoken word and everything we can see and touch including ourselves.
Faith is trusting in the invisible power of creation to recreate what has been broken in ourselves and our world.
If you are afraid to speak, find a recovery group near you and go and just listen. You might listen yourself into a healthier more courageous place.