Tell Out My Soul

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. Psalm 51

It is a very difficult thing to stand up for what you believe in and to proclaim that you follow Jesus. We live in a highly secular world where belief and trust in a higher power is often regarded as abnormal or delusional. The voice of atheism shouts the loudest and the voice of agnosticism whispers politely but holds the same message. And that all pervasive message is that God has no place in the daily lives of people. It causes me a great deal of sorrow that even though the world that God created has developed so far in so many ways, it has not progressed in this fundamental aspect. People have been made blind to God’s love and presence, and I find it astonishing that this is the case, when all around me, every moment I can see God’s hand in all creation and in all the little things that happen, and all the grace and the gifts that come from his great and sacred heart.

How do we stay loyal to God and to Jesus his Son? Why is it so easy to stand up for a son or daughter, a husband or wife, or a friend, but so very difficult to stand up for Jesus? We don’t have to get into arguments, or battle with people over defending Jesus, or the Bible or the parts of our faith that are under attack. It’s not necessary to enter into conflict, but it is necessary to stand up for Jesus; it’s imperative that when we are in a situation in which we are faced with proclaiming our belief, that we do so, unhesitatingly.

Matthew 10:33 states this in no uncertain terms:

“But whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.“

Peter went through the worst torments in the aftermath of his denial of Jesus; I can’t imagine the kind of remorse he went through, and how much this would have pained Jesus himself, on top of what he had to go through over the days of his Passion. Jesus suffered and died to bring us salvation; he offered himself up freely for us. Sometimes we need to let that sink in. He asks so little of us in return, for his burden is easy and his yoke is light. It was Peter’s weakness and fear that led to him denying Jesus. “I don’t know him,” he said. Whenever we keep silent in the face of challenging questions about our Lord, we too are showing our fear and weakness.

And Jesus knows how bad we feel about ourselves when we back down and keep silent. Every time we let that challenge beat us, we beat ourselves up, and we feel weak and powerless. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us in an act of self sacrifice so huge that it is embedded in our collective psyche as Christians, and yet we find it immensely difficult to do even this small thing for him, to speak up and say, “Yes, I’m a Christian, and yes, God is real and he gives me my life’s meaning and purpose.”

The history of the Christian Church is painted red with the blood of martyrs who chose death before disowning the Lord. Sometimes we need to let that sink in too. Chances are we will never be placed in a situation in which we will be faced with giving up our lives for Jesus, but we will most certainly find ourselves in a place where we will be asked the question, “Are you a Christian?” and the other one which is not so easy to answer, “How can you believe in God?” We need to be ready, at all times. Every day we need to rehearse, for just these moments, the what, who and why of our belief, because you never know when you will have to confront these questions from those who are hell bent on tearing down the very fabric of faith and grace.

If we think even only for a second about the suffering of our Lord Jesus, then standing up for our faith becomes a natural and easy thing to do, and will be a reflection of his great love for us, and his trust in us too. It is the Lord who gives us the strength and the will to open our lips so that our mouths can proclaim his praises.

May peace be with you and may the courage that the Spirit bestows strengthen the foundation of your faith.