New? Old!

and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NAS95

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:14-16 NAS95

I just finished an amazing weekend with an incredible group of people. We were all attending a virtual conference, with over 1,000 attendees, on improving our speaking voices. I learned so very much that my head is still swimming with thoughts and information. It is going to take weeks to assimilate everything that was said about using our voices to communicate better.

You might be wondering what the verses for this musing have to do with a vocal training weekend. If you are, that is a great question, and I will try to tell you the answer in the next few paragraphs.

The speaker and trainer for the weekend closed out the weekend by making a plea to the attendees to use their voices, and the techniques, we were taught to change the world. We are to do that by changing the way we responded to angry people, by speaking softly to them. We are to use our voices to utter encouraging words and use the tones of our voices to help lift the depressed. We are to compliment people with sincerity. He said so much more that it would take too much space to share it all.

You need to know this was not a “Christian” program, but the presenter was of the Jewish tradition. And at least one person talked about church. (It was not overtly secular either.) Here is why this has me sleepless and disturbed.

God, our Father, has given us the blueprint for changing the world. It is not using our voice differently, it is using our voice in prayer and being humble If we, who are called by His name, will humble ourselves and pray, He promises to heal the land. Yes, we need to use our voices properly. Paul alludes to that in the second Scripture passage, we are to speak the truth in love. It is pretty hard to speak the truth in love with a raging voice.

The speaker spoke of his insight as though it was a new revelation revealed to him to help change the world. It is an old revelation. If we would apply the words of Paul to our lives we would be agents of change. I am tired of the voices in the church world, while well-intentioned, that lack humility and love. Don’t just tell me you love the lost, show me. Maybe I spent too many years living in Missouri, (it was only 5,) but I still want you to show me. I think I am in good company, look at what James said:

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

James 2:15-18 NAS95

I underlined the important part for you. Use your voice, to pray, it will promote healing in our land. Use your voice, to speak the truth in love, it will promote stability and soundness. Use your voice to share your faith as you do good works. Maybe, just maybe, together we can change the world near us and influence the greater world. Truthfully, there is no “maybe.” We can. The “maybe” comes from the uncertainty of whether we will. I will, will you?