Speak Up

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am extremely quiet.  You could be sitting in the same room as me and not even know I'm there. If you don't say anything to me, chances are certain that I'm not going to say anything to you.  In the run of a month, I only use about 200 minutes on my cell phone...I am just not a talker.  But I will write, email or text all day, every day.  You don't even wanna know how many text messages I go through in the span of 30 days...let's just say thank goodness for unlimited texts! I have been this way as far back as I can remember.  This has worked for me, but it has also worked against me.

Because I'm such an introvert, people know that they can trust me not to run my mouth when they confide in me.  I'm never the go-to person for all the latest juicy gossip because they already know Keisha's not saying anything! And, I'm never in the center of foolish drama. Being such a quiet person causes me to listen attentively and be very observant of what goes on around me.  In this aspect, my introverted personality works just fine for me; however, it has its downside.  My quietness is often mistaken for weakness and timidity.  And I must admit, I went through a great deal of my life too afraid to speak up for myself.  As a result I suffered pain, disappointment, depression, defeat and serious fear.  I think that had I been confident enough in who God created me to be, I wouldn't have allowed my personality to work against me.  I now know that I can be quiet, yet confident in who I am through Christ.  One lesson I've learned is that there's nothing wrong with being a quiet, soft-spoken person, but there are definitely times when I  must open my mouth and speak up...loud and clear.

Quiet or not, there comes a time in everyone's life when speaking up is very necessary.  Much like when the enemy comes against us.  If we sit back and say nothing, we are giving him liberty to wreak havoc in our lives and destroy us.  It's like having a bully.  As long as they know they can intimidate you and you say nothing, they are going to continue picking on you.  But when you choose to become bold and stand up for yourself, more than likely, they will leave you alone.  We must be this way when it comes to the enemy.  Now, I'm not saying he's going to permanently leave you alone once you stand up to him, but you can guarantee that he will not prevail.

We absolutely cannot be passive with the enemy, because he is relentless and vicious in his efforts to destroy us.  We must tap into that holy boldness which dwells on the inside of us through Christ Jesus and God's word.  It is impossible to quietly fight the enemy, at least not if you want to win.  I dare you to take your stance with that old devil and boldly speak God's word with power and authority.  Don't allow him to bully you!

Til we meet again...

Live more...worry less...laugh often!

Your sister in Christ,
Keisha