“They begin the evening news with ‘Good evening,’ and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.” Ha! Very witty quote and pretty true; plus, if you’re anything like me, you hear ‘Good evening’ many times over each night and love it. If this is the case, you just may be a member in good standing of the “news junkie” club!
So, how do you know if you’re an official news junkie? According to sources, you are a news junkie if:
~ The first thing you do in the morning is check the latest news.
~ Your friends ask you for a rundown of the most up-to-the-minute news.
~ You have all the cable news channels memorized.
~ You know the difference between ‘fake news’ and a ‘substantive’ story.
~ You can’t stand it when people get the facts of a news story wrong.
~ You want to talk about current events every chance you get.
~ It’s not true unless your favorite news source confirms it to be so!
And my personal favorite —
~ You have an opinion on every news topic!
The truth is, we all have our preferred ‘voices,’ be it a next-door neighbor, your chatty hairstylist, or even a savvy co-worker. The voice could be moral, ethical and upright or faulty, inaccurate and unsound — all of us have voices we give ear to.
In 1 Cor 14:10, Paul tells us there are “many kinds of voices in the world…” Every voice wants a platform and every voice is seeking to get a foothold into a brain — yours and mine included. Proverbs 23:7 tells us, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Literally, we pretty much become what we think — whichever voice influences us the most paves the road we travel. As Steven Furtick puts it: “The voice you believe will determine the future you experience.”
As Christ-followers, if we are listening to the voice of the Lord and we deliberately “put on the mind of Christ,” we should be walking billboards for the Kingdom of God. Our beliefs, values, attitudes and behavior should reflect our Kingdom values. If we are blending in with the world, there is probably something wrong with our spiritual hearing. We are not called to blend and bend — we are called to stand and be counted — to literally flesh-out truth.
But in recent days, many Christians have come to believe that compliance is the way to go. We’ll just circle the wagons, be good, and come out when the war is over. The problem is that darkness is never satisfied and won’t be content until all voices of righteousness and godliness have not only been sidelined but also totally destroyed.
Compliant religion is a triumph for Satan — the enemy of everyman’s soul. Compliant religion is powerless to confront darkness; thus, zero damage is inflicted against the workings of evil in our culture. Compliant religion is curiously silent, satisfied in allowing government mandates to shut down and control our houses of worship!
You and I have opportunities every day to stand and boldly voice truth or stay silent — our choice. As the famous Dr. Seuss said: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
King David, thinking back on his life said, “We finish our years like a sigh.” Maybe — but I love what another man said about his life a lot better: “The cry on my heart is, “Not with a sigh Lord – but with a shout! With a battle cry!” I want to be so engaged in the life God gave me that when I arrive, angels will have to pry the sword from my hand.” So how about it? Why not take the plunge and be the voice?!
Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you can visit them at DPCityChurch.com.
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