Dr. Althea’s Quote
“Your voice was not given to you merely to be heard; it was given to you to release what God has placed within you.”
Scripture — Proverbs 31:8 (KJV)
“Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.”
There are seasons when God will require you to stop shrinking, stop silencing yourself, and stop believing that your voice does not matter. Your voice is more than sound. When surrendered to God, it can become an instrument through which truth is spoken, encouragement is released, wisdom is shared, injustice is confronted, and purpose is advanced.
Perhaps life has taught you to become quiet. Rejection may have made you afraid to speak. Criticism may have caused you to question whether anyone values what you have to say. You may have entered rooms where your contribution was overlooked or experienced relationships where your thoughts were dismissed. Yet the opinions of people cannot cancel what God has placed within you.
Moses struggled with his voice. When God called him, he answered, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent” (Exodus 4:10 KJV). Moses saw his limitation, but God saw his assignment. God answered him, “Who hath made man’s mouth?” (Exodus 4:11 KJV). In other words, the God who created Moses knew exactly what He was doing when He called him.
You do not need someone else’s voice to accomplish your assignment. You do not need someone else’s personality, vocabulary, platform, influence, or style. God knew your voice before anyone ever heard it. He knows the experiences that shaped you, the lessons that matured you, the valleys that developed you, and the revelation He has deposited within you.
There is also a difference between having a voice and knowing when to use it. Kingdom maturity teaches us that every thought does not require an announcement, every disagreement does not require a response, and every battle does not deserve our words. Ecclesiastes 3:7 reminds us that there is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” Wisdom knows the difference.
When God says speak, however, fear must not become your master. Jeremiah felt inadequate for his assignment, but God told him, “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 1:8 KJV). Then God declared, “Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9 KJV).
Your voice may be part of someone else’s breakthrough. Your testimony may encourage a woman who believes she cannot survive what she is facing. Your teaching may bring understanding. Your prayer may strengthen a family. Your leadership may challenge an organization to change. Your wisdom may protect someone from making a costly decision. Your words may remind someone that God has not forgotten them.
Do not confuse being quiet with being humble. Humility is not pretending that God has placed nothing inside you. True humility recognizes that whatever God has entrusted to you belongs to Him and should be used for His glory.
There are people who may never understand why God gave you your voice because they were not present when He developed it. They did not experience the nights that taught you how to pray. They did not survive the battles that taught you how to believe. They did not walk through the wilderness that taught you discernment. Your voice carries evidence of places from which God brought you.
So speak when God says speak. Pray when God says pray. Teach when God says teach. Encourage when God says encourage. Advocate when someone needs an advocate. Declare His Word when circumstances are contradicting His promises. You do not have to become the loudest person in the room. You simply need to become faithful with the voice God entrusted to you.
Your voice has purpose. Your voice carries responsibility. Your voice carries influence. Most importantly, when your voice is surrendered to God, it can carry His message into places your feet may never reach.
Prayer
Father, I thank You because I know You hear me. Let Your will be done. Thank You for giving me a voice and for placing purpose within me. Forgive me for the times fear, rejection, insecurity, or the opinions of others caused me to remain silent when You were calling me to speak. Give me wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent. Let my words bring life, truth, healing, encouragement, wisdom, and Kingdom impact. Put Your words in my mouth and teach me to use my voice for Your glory. May I never use my voice to destroy what You have called me to strengthen. Give me courage to speak wherever You send me, knowing that You are with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dr. Althea’s Quote:
“Your voice was not given to you merely to be heard; it was given to you to release what God has placed within you.”
