Finding Joy

"There is great joy in having the right answer,

and how sweet is the right word at the right time!”

Proverbs 15:23 (VOICE)

Your. Voice. Matters.

Let these three little words sink in for a moment.

Seriously, stop reading, close your eyes, and let these three words seep deep into your consciousness… Your. Voice. Matters.

Okay, now that you’re back, what were your objections? I know you had them. Maybe it was plain and simple, “My voice doesn’t matter. Nobody cares what I have to say.” Or maybe it was a bit more complicated, “Well, sure my voice matters but only to my family and that’s about it.”

I get it, I’m the one writing and I’m fighting the same objections. “Does my voice even matter? Does anyone really care what I have to say?” It’s part of the human condition - we doubt. Which is why we have to fill our minds with truth to fight the doubt.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to believe the truth from Proverbs 15:23 because… Your. Voice. Matters.

“There is great joy in having the right answer,

and how sweet is the right word at the right time!”

I know you don’t have the answers to everything that is happening in our world today. I certainly don’t. But I am finding great joy in speaking hope and love over people as well as even greater joy when it’s spoken over me.

This week alone I’ve found myself on both sides of this joy.

Like many of you, I’ve landed in some heavy conversations about everything that is happening.

One was a deep conversation with someone who is struggling to find God in the midst of our current world situation. Question after question came. Doubt piled upon doubt that God even cares. Prayers stopped, as this person has been so angry with God that they can’t even speak to him.

I sat… silent.

Friends, sometimes the right answer at the right time is to say nothing.

When it was time to speak, I chose my words carefully, trusting that the silent prayers I whispered while they were talking had been heard.

I spoke.

With a slight smirk and a hint of playful sarcasm I heard the response, “Well don’t you just have the right answer.” I sighed deeply in my spirit and whispered to God, “Thank you! I know I am not that smart.”

My soul was full as I found a moment of joy in such profound sadness. God was present and… My. Voice. Mattered.

Let’s flip to the other side of this thought.

It has been gray and dreary where I live for days. This coupled with a head cold, isolation, and so many unknowns was making me feel very, very, blah. My motivation was severely lacking and the desire to write anything was absent. But then, at just the right time, a text came.

It’s not necessary to rehash what was spoken over me except to say, “how sweet is the right word at the right time” (Prov. 15:23, VOICE).

The precipitating factor, however, was the person on the other end of that text believing… Their. Voice. Matters. And it did in ways they may never fully know!

At that moment I found joy that was even more overwhelming than I could take in because it reminded me that God saw me. He saw me and prompted my friend to reach out to me.

Listen. During this unique time in our world’s history… Your. Voice. Matters.

I know we are all social distancing, but this is why it is even more vital that we understand the power of our voice. You have the capacity to help others find joy simply by sharing the right word at the right time.

Don’t overthink it. A text, an email, a social media post, or even a phone call may be the thing that reminds someone who is struggling that God sees them right now. It may be the very thing that helps you and them find joy.

Your. Voice. Matters… believe it!

For Your Reflection…

Who needs to hear your voice today?