Sometimes the most important action to be taken in a crisis situation is the voice of one. Pilate was looking for a voice to support the innocent Jesus. God chose Moses to be the voice to speak out against Pharaoh. It was the voice of Barnabas that put Saul in good standing with the church at Jerusalem and was the beginning of his great work.
In 1848, a clerk in Salem, Massachusetts, was laid off from his job. Times were hard and he needed to find another job quickly to support his family. He talked to his wife about the problem, but his wife disagreed with his decision. Her response was that she knew he had always wanted to write and that this was a great time to pursue it. Her voice basically was, “I’ve saved a little along the way, and I believe we can make it. You devote your time to writing.” So an unemployed clerk went to his first love — writing. Two years later he published his first book and the title page read, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Perhaps there is someone right now who needs your voice of encouragement, admonition, advice, or concern; but there are many times when no voice at all is best (James 1:19). We often talk about doing a good deed for someone else, and every conscientious Christian wants to help someone in need. A simple act that can prove the most good may be your voice of one.
Kyle Campbell