Finding Your Voice

"The challenge before us is to present Jesus to our generation in a way that is both historical and contemporary, both authentic and appealing....The main reason for every betrayal of the authentic Jesus is that we listen with exaggerated deference to contemporary fashion, instead of listening to God's Word" (The Contemporary Christian, John R.W. Stott, p. 24).

2000 years earlier the Apostle Paul addressed this very issue with a young pastor named, Timothy. He challenged Timothy with these words:

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Tim. 4:1-5, NASU).

Paul clearly recognized that people were ultimately going to want a god of their own making. As a matter of fact, Paul was well aware of the historical precedence of this. Societies had been creating their own god's for generations. His challenge to Timothy was to stay the course and remain true to the God of Scripture. Why did Paul not want Timothy to compromise? Paul knew that in time, all man-made gods would reveal themselves to be lacking. In those moments someone needed to be the voice of truth and hope. So, what voice are you today? Are you the silent voice that chooses to stay out of the crosshairs of controversy? Or, are you the voice of a windswept wave; changing your message with the ever-changing tide of political correctness. Hopefully you are the strong voice of truth and hope. Hopefully you are the voice of patience and perseverance. Hopefully you are the voice that will lead those in your circle of influence to the only God who will never be found lacking. Hopefully you are that voice today. Today, my voice is feeling strong! But pray for me, the day is still young.