I know precisely the extent of your violations, the enormity of your sins. Appalling! You bully right-living people, taking bribes right and left and kicking the poor when they’re down. Justice is a lost cause. Evil is epidemic. Decent people throw up their hands. Protest and rebuke are useless, a waste of breath. Amos 5:12–13 (MSG)

It is tempting to believe that we live in a time when things have never been worse. After all, it is “the last days.” However, we have been in the last days for the last 2000 years. Amos lived and observed culture about 750 years before Christ. He claimed that when he was neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet.

Yet, the picture that Amos paints seems very contemporary. There are sin and injustice in all aspects of society. Decent people are afraid to speak up. So those who are smart keep their mouths shut, for it is an evil time. Amos 5:13 (NLT). Confidence and trust in the institutions of man are at low points. The preacher in Ecclesiastes informs us that there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.”

One of the great challenges of our day is knowing when to speak up, and when to shut up. On one hand, Amos, in describing a time very much like our own, advises that smart people should keep their mouths shut. Conversely, Elihu, frustrated by Job’s three friends, cannot resist the urge to speak up: I too will answer; yes, I will tell what I know. For I am full of words, and my spirit compels me to speak. Job 32:17–18 (CSB)

A secret to success is knowing when to speak up, and when to shut up.

We Must Be Wise

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15–17 (NLT)

At times, the urge to say what is on our mind, to vent, or to rage against those who are in authority, can seem overwhelming. We can feel cheated by the system, believing that the powers that are aligned against us, and our interests, are not playing by the same rules that govern our lives.

That may be true, but our response must be governed by understanding that our mission as Christ-followers is more important than our over offended sensibilities. Sometimes, silence will speak louder than words. Isaiah in prophesying about Jesus wrote: He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7 (CSB)

When the religious leaders of the day brought Jesus to face trial before Pilate, he did not defend himself: Pilate asked him, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?” He answered, “If you say so.” The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations. Pilate asked again, “Aren’t you going to answer anything? That’s quite a list of accusations.” Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed. Mark 15:2–5 (MSG)

A quote attributed to St. Francis, “Preach the gospel at all times, when necessary, use words.” Our mission is not to impress people with our words, but to demonstrate the power and reality of the gospel message by the way we live our lives. Wisdom is knowing when to speak up, and when to shut up.

Those Who Cannot Speak Up for Themselves

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Proverbs 31:8–9 (NLT)

Jesus demonstrated a willingness to not speak up to defend himself, even in the face of baseless accusations. Our Lord demands that we speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

God placed Esther in a strategic position, and she responded in a moment of crisis. She spoke up even at the risk of her own life. She decided to act even in the face of dire personal consequences. “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16 (CSB)

Jesus intervened on behalf of those who had no voice, and yet he declined to defend himself. More importantly than defending ourselves, even in the face of slanderous and false accusations, we must speak up for those whose voices are not heard. The Psalmist said, “Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people.” Psalm 82:4 (NLT)

A Fire in Our Bones

But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it! Jeremiah 20:9 (NLT)

We see a pattern in Scripture. Jesus did not feel compelled to defend himself, and we must resist the impulse to justify ourselves before the world. We must be ready to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Finally, when the word of God is burning in our hearts, there is no way to contain it. The world may want to shut down our voice, but the reality and power of God’s word will not be silenced. The early church leaders were warned to no longer speak about Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19–20 (NLT)

There “is a time to be silent, and a time to speak.” Understanding when we should speak up or shut up has a great bearing on our effectiveness as witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Steve Ekeroth