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When the church decides to use its cohesive voice for the purpose of praise, it becomes an unstoppable force for good in God’s world
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9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. – 1 Peter 2:9-10
As spring peaks around the corner, the baseball season beckons. It’s one of my favorite times of the year because I still have hope for the Rockies! As an avid baseball fan, I went to a few of their playoff games in 2008 – a memory I hope I never forget. It was exhilarating to be filled with a stadium full of people yelling and screaming and cheering on our team. When the Rockies scored, the collective roar from the stadium rose to the heavens. I was struck by the fact that there is power in a collective voice. There’s an inspiring effect in hearing a multitude of people making one claim and joining their voices with one message.
When Peter wrote to the persecuted churches in the first century, he encouraged them to unite in one voice. However, the content of what he called them to exclaim was surprising given the mistreatment of Jesus followers in that day. He didn’t tell them to fight for their rights. He didn’t tell them advocate for better care. He didn’t tell them fight Nero. In 1 Peter 2:9-10, he wrote, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Peter understands that there is great power in the words people use and he encourages the church to use their words – not to fight against the persecution they were enduring, but to praise the God who had rescued them!
There are over 100 verses in the Bible that point out the power of words. We know the saying, “sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is far from true. We have all been shaped by the words people have spoken to us, and the words we have said to others. However, there is even greater power in a unified voice – the voice of multitudes joining together as one. When the church decides to use its cohesive voice for the purpose of praise, it becomes an unstoppable force for good in God’s world. Declaring the excellencies of him who called us is the most impactful thing we can do with our voice – that’s why Peter calls the church to make that announcement. If the church is a voice, let’s consider what others are hearing from her. Spend some time and think about the way words have impacted your life. In a practical and intentional way, today, use your words to declare God’s praise.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]
By Ryan Paulson
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