Speak Up or Shut Up

Before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom, I solemnly charge you: proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. - 2 Timothy 4:1-2

Have you ever been in a situation where you didn't know whether or not you should speak up?

I'm sure that we have all experienced this at some point and perhaps, as a Christ-follower, more so than others, even when the timing seemed wrong. Here's a tip: it is never inappropriate to speak God's truth, but the aim must always be the correction of an error, exhortation to greater obedience, or encouragement to continued faithfulness with the underlying purpose of making or helping another disciple be more like Christ. We should never speak up just so we can feel better. If your first thought is, "I need to get this off my chest," then you are thinking of yourself and not God's purposes. Most likely, in such instances it best to just shut up.

Proclaim God's truth, always, even when the moment does not seem right. Just check your motives first.

We give advice by the bucket, but take it by the grain. - Tom Stoppard