It seems as though every time you turn around you are supposed to have an opinion on something. As our culture and society continues to rapidly develop, there seems to be a need to put every thought or perspective you’ve ever had out onto the Internet, even if you haven’t fully developed it yet. However, social media has also made this battle more difficult as it is extremely tricky at times to figure out when and if you need to respond, and then how to do that in a way that is effective and also biblical. Dozens, if not hundreds, of people daily turn to their personal Facebook or Instagram accounts to share their opinions with whoever will read it and it is not always as helpful as they anticipate. United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said, social media sites “can provide perhaps the most powerful mechanisms available to a private citizen to make his or her voice hear. They allow a person with an Internet connection to ‘become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox.’” It is very clear that social media has cultivated a community where everyone’s opinion matters and need to be shared publicly, which is not inherently a bad thing. People do matter, conversations need to be had, and perspectives need to be challenged. However, in the midst of all the banter this question arises: when faced with things we disagree or even agree with, should we speak up or stay silent?
“If you really think about it, those 7,000 words or more, are your imprint on the world; they dictate how people perceive you and largely define you. Yet, the book of Proverbs is filled with guidance to be careful with our words. So, where is the balance?”
On average, a person speaks at least 7,000 words a day, with many people speaking MUCH more than that. If you really think about it, those 7,000 words or more, are your imprint on the world; they dictate how people perceive you and largely define you. Yet, the book of Proverbs is filled with guidance to be careful with our words. So, where is the balance? Focus on the Family published an article about this very subject in 2015 right after same-sex marriages were permitted in the United States. The article’s writer, Josh Loke, turned the readers’ attention to Jesus as our great example. He says, “looking at Jesus’ life, I think it’s fairly clear that Christians do need to speak up about evil and unrighteousness in the world. After all, our Savior wasn’t shy in calling out people for their hypocrisy and wrong beliefs. Yet even a cursory examination of His actions show how He did this is often different from the methods of many Christians today. His approach, especially to sinners, was rarely to condemn and always to save.” No matter who Jesus was talking to (the woman caught in adultery, tax collectors, woman at the well, etc.) His interaction was truth, honest and direct while also filled with gentleness, compassion and understanding – I love that! As Proverbs 31:8 challenges us, “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Injustice and unrighteousness were not a part of the original design in the Garden of Eden and therefore not a part of God’s heart for creation. As people who put their saving faith in Jesus Christ, we are called to speak up when necessary and yet when we do, speak out of a place of love. To see people as creations of God (because they are) and respond to them as such.
Nevertheless, no one person is called to deal with everything. You do not need to respond to every comment, every crisis, or every matter that our world deems as important. There definitely moments to speak up but it is not all of them. We need to carefully consider and examine the things that we speak up about so that when we do speak up it is done with consideration, compassion and clarity. As Loke continued to say in his article, “think through what you say, and strive to make it helpful, build up the Church, bless mankind, and give glory to God.” We need to seek the divine counsel of the Lord in all of these matters because it is only through Him, we can seek discern properly.
James 1:19–20 says, “my dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”