The Sin of Silence

There is nothing louder than absolute silence. In perfect stillness does not the whisper of the mind scream so deafeningly? Perhaps there is no better moment in which one is able to reflect upon his life; to ponder its meaning and purpose. As each day ends, in the stillness of the night we wrest with the questions, "What is my destiny? What is my purpose in the earth for which I was born? Did I do everything I could do to the best of my ability today?" Reflection forces many of us to admit defeat. Today, we find ourselves guilty of the sin of silence. T.F. Tenny teaches that to commit murder in the desert is to know where the water is, but tell no one about it.

Basically, God is looking for us to serve Him in three ways: as a wife (bride of Christ), as a worker, and as a witness.

Wife - the good wife comes from the fact that Christians are the bride of Christ. Christ expects His bride to be pure (avoid the things of the world that would defile us) and chaste (not flirting with the world or running after other loves). That's easy to understand. These are the same things you want of your husband or wife. When we violate God's rules in marriage we come to the big "D's" (and I don't mean Dallas!)-disgrace, disease, debt, dishonor, and divorce.

Worker- a good worker is someone who comes to work on time every day; gives an honest day's work for an honest day's pay; and does his job without complaining. These are simple ideas that should apply to your place of employment as well as your place of worship.

Witness- witnessing is not throwing someone in a corner and making them believe as you believe. Witnessing is simply telling people the difference Christ has made in your life. Sharing answered prayers should be as natural as sharing an exciting news item from the newspaper. Sharing your love for Christ should be as easy as sharing your devotion to the Gamecocks or the Tigers. It's simple to witness when Christ is the main focus of your life. As Charles Templeton puts it, "Christianity does not remove you from the world and its problems; it makes you fit to live in it, triumphantly and usefully." Are you fit to live and ready to die?

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience... Peter 3:15-16 NKJV

Don't be guilty of the sin of silence.

Author's Bio: Born in 1973, raised in Southwest Louisiana, Joshua Olmsted is a divorced father of four, raising his children while serving his local assembly, Jesus Worship Center of Jennings, LA (Rev. Clifton J. LeJeune, Sr. Pastor). His professional career involves Offshore Natural Gas & Petroleum Facility Operations in which he has become a senior operator/supervisor over the past 10 years of service to the industry. He is a former Deputy-Sheriff of the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's Department, a former locally-licensed minister of the U.P.C.I. and, served his country as a U.S. Marine. He is a frequent freelance writer and contributor to many publications, including; The Pentecostal Herald magazine, The Louisiana Challenger magazine, Apostolic Information Services, Indiana Bible College Perspectives Magazine, http://www.PreachIt.org, Jennings Daily Newspaper of Jennings LA, and more.