“Be not afraid” to speak the truth

YOUR PATH: WordBytes » Holy Spirit (catalog) » “Be not afraid” to speak the truth

[Most articles can be downloaded; if you see no download form, write to us.]

Are we supposed to stay silent about the truths of the Catholic Faith when we’re with those who have fallen prey to worldly thinking and the false teachings of Satan? They don’t want to hear the truth. They want us to believe that we should not speak the truth because it would hurt their feelings and make them mad, perhaps even violent.

Anti-Christian sentiment has grown a lot stronger and become more obvious. We’re berated and condemned and sometimes even beaten for not agreeing with sinners.

Jesus tells us to “be not afraid” of speaking the truth. Even when there might be repercussions, we need not be afraid. If we have the attitude of, “Yes, I’m willing”, the Holy Spirit gives us the words and the supernatural, joyful peace that makes it easy. Fear gets overtaken by the Holy Spirit every time.

This happened to me (this is one example of many) when I overheard a friend listening to a meditation video that was dangerous to her soul. My friend was a Christian but she did not have an active relationship with the Holy Spirit. As such, she lacked good spiritual discernment and has accepted many of the world’s teachings, unaware that she is harming her soul and her relationship with Christ.

She thought the meditation was simply helping her relax, but the voice guiding the meditation was leading her into a New Age spirituality. It wanted her to believe that she could bring peace to her life and to the whole world simply by her own mind-power.

Concerned for my friend’s well-being, I said a silent, quick prayer and felt called to speak up. So I interrupted her meditation to engage her in conversation about it. I explained that she was possibly inviting demons into her life. My own long-ago experiences in the occult gave testimony to this. I told her about the difference between a Christ-centered meditation and what she was listening to.

She didn’t like hearing this truth. But the Holy Spirit gave me the words to speak, a compassionate gentleness for my tone of voice, and a strong conviction that the truth must be shared. And when I finished saying what the Holy Spirit inspired me to say, I sensed that I should say no more. It was a short conversation. There was no value in belaboring the point. My responsibility was to provide the truth as if planting an important seed. It would be up to Jesus to fertilize it and make it grow.

Jesus says in Matthew 10:26-28, “What I say to you in the darkness of today’s world, speak up about it in the light of my Mercy. What the Holy Spirit’s quiet voice tells you to say, proclaim it from the housetops (i.e., where every passerby can see you). And do not be afraid of those who might attack you. Even if they kill you, they cannot kill your soul; you will go straight to Heaven!”

To be true followers of Christ, we need to be willing prophets, with the Holy Spirit’s help, speaking the truth to those who believe worldly thinking and the false teachings of Satan. We need to push past our initial trepidation and entrust our hearts, our motives, and our mouths to the Holy Spirit. Then we will experience supernatural, joyful peace from the Holy Spirit, Who is always ready to make it easier than we imagine it will be.

But realize this: Gone are the days when we could convince unbelievers of the truth by explaining it them. Today we live in a world where sins have been multiplying for a long time and thus the influence of demons is stronger than ever. Sinners are literally enslaved to the lies that make their sins seem good.

What you can do is actually very easy: Plant the truth like seeds. Don’t argue. Don’t get caught up in a debate. Just speak what the Holy Spirit puts peacefully into your mind to share and then silently pray. Although most of the seeds will fall on hard ground, God is tilling their soil by using the hardships in their lives to get their attention. Your calling is to sow the truth and water the seeds with your prayers. Christ will do the rest.

Saint Paul wrote, “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more” (Romans 5:20). What does this tell us about God’s reaction to the increase of sin that’s happening all around us? Learn more about this from “Moving on Currents of Grace“.