Give Virtue a Voice
We need the same holy boldness Peter and John of which it was said, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)
The disciples had gotten in bad trouble and then prayed. They did not pray for protection or revenge. They prayed for the thing that got them in trouble, boldness. Their boldness caused them great grief. But it changed their culture and transformed lives. If asked was it worth it their response based on their bravado would be a resound “Yes.”
Our culture is seeing a flood tide of immorality and cultural deterioration. Most of the phases of American life have a voice or voices that paid the price resulting from challenging the harbingers of debilitating moral change.
The reason for such boldness was a rock solid faith in the Lord and a selfless commitment to Him.
As you quibble and waiver in renewing your allegiance to our Lord, may you become as resolute in expressing your devotion as Samuel Rutherford, the Scotch Covenanter who was imprisoned in Aberdeen for his faithfulness to his Lord. He expressed his devotion in this manner: “O my Lord, if there were a broad hell betwixt me and Thee, if I could not get at Thee except by wading through it, I would not think twice, but I would plunge through it all, if I might embrace Thee and call Thee mine.” That is love such as our Lord deserves.
Few, perhaps none reading this, are likely to be a social media voice appealing for moral issues. However, all will daily engage in conversation when the voice can be raised. In doing so on occasion you might be body slammed and you not carry the day. However, a voice will have cried out in the wilderness and a seed thought planted.
When multiple small voices are simultaneously raised, the chorus is sure to be heard. What if all the lambs roared at once rather than seeking the shelter of silence. Instead, ““Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”