This past weekend was an interesting one. Over the past week or more, there have been quite a few wildfires out here in the west, and the smoke has invaded our mountain valley. In addition, we had a large quantity of hay bales catch on fire, adding even more smoke and trapping it all inside our sheltered little valley.
This has had a dramatic effect on me. It started with my sinuses, and then slowly worked its way down to my throat, inevitably landing in my voicebox. Thus, over the weekend, I could hardly be heard when I spoke. I wasn't sick or anything like that, I simply couldn't talk.
Now, for most people, this might not be that big of an issue, but when you are in the profession I'm in, if Sunday rolls around and you can't talk, you have some issues. After all, public speaking is part of the job description. But as I stood before everyone and attempted my best efforts to speak, I also was reminded that it's not my voice that everyone gathers to hear. It's God's voice that they need to hear.
I think that's one of the things that I need the occasional reminder of. I know it sounds very simple, and yet, I have come to see that it's also a pretty challenging thing to do. I am to be God's voice to His people. That means that I speak what God says to His people. When I find myself wanting to spend more time talking about things that I have a few thoughts on, I need the reminder that the people don't need to hear my thoughts. They need to hear what God says about it.
I think most people in my profession understand this, but also find it challenging to consistently practice. We all have our issues or topics that we enjoy spending more time on, or our personal favorite sins to rail against. Keeping the focus off of our voice, and instead, letting God's voice be the one that shines through may seem fairly cut and dried, but my experience is such that it actually takes a lot of work to do.
In the end, this weekend served as a great reminder that it's not my voice that needs to be heard. God's voice is the one that needs to resound. It's His voice that needs to declare what is right and wrong, how we stand before Him as sinful and yet forgiven. It's God's voice that needs to speak when it addresses our lives and what we do with them. Yes, I may speak what He has to day, but when I start finding that I'm a bit too interested in the subject, or in crafting clever words to say, I need the reminder that I need to step aside and make sure that it's God's voice that rings through loud and clear, not mine.
This has had a dramatic effect on me. It started with my sinuses, and then slowly worked its way down to my throat, inevitably landing in my voicebox. Thus, over the weekend, I could hardly be heard when I spoke. I wasn't sick or anything like that, I simply couldn't talk.
Now, for most people, this might not be that big of an issue, but when you are in the profession I'm in, if Sunday rolls around and you can't talk, you have some issues. After all, public speaking is part of the job description. But as I stood before everyone and attempted my best efforts to speak, I also was reminded that it's not my voice that everyone gathers to hear. It's God's voice that they need to hear.
I think that's one of the things that I need the occasional reminder of. I know it sounds very simple, and yet, I have come to see that it's also a pretty challenging thing to do. I am to be God's voice to His people. That means that I speak what God says to His people. When I find myself wanting to spend more time talking about things that I have a few thoughts on, I need the reminder that the people don't need to hear my thoughts. They need to hear what God says about it.
I think most people in my profession understand this, but also find it challenging to consistently practice. We all have our issues or topics that we enjoy spending more time on, or our personal favorite sins to rail against. Keeping the focus off of our voice, and instead, letting God's voice be the one that shines through may seem fairly cut and dried, but my experience is such that it actually takes a lot of work to do.
In the end, this weekend served as a great reminder that it's not my voice that needs to be heard. God's voice is the one that needs to resound. It's His voice that needs to declare what is right and wrong, how we stand before Him as sinful and yet forgiven. It's God's voice that needs to speak when it addresses our lives and what we do with them. Yes, I may speak what He has to day, but when I start finding that I'm a bit too interested in the subject, or in crafting clever words to say, I need the reminder that I need to step aside and make sure that it's God's voice that rings through loud and clear, not mine.
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