Occasionally, when I am in my quiet home, I think I hear Jim’s voice. My phone still holds one of the last voice mails Jim left me.
I kept the mini cassette from my father’s office answering machine that contains words in his gentle southern drawl.
Early in life, we learn to recognize the voices of loved ones. Each voice is as unique as the person to whom it belongs.
A choral director once told me siblings’ voices create the closest, best harmony.
Last week, a voice was silenced by an assassin’s bullet. It wasn’t the first voice to be stilled in this manner. Many lives and their singular voices have been cut short. However, nothing can silence the message those voices proclaimed. Those words still live on in history and are repeated to this day.
Do others pay attention to your voice?
When my children were small, there were times when I wondered if they heard my voice at all. Certainly, their actions indicated they didn’t! However, it’s not always words that gain attention, but the form of delivery. Sometimes, a gentle, soft voice speaks louder than shouting.
Is your speech understandable?
Having taught at writers’ conferences over the last 25 years, I’ve learned the value of making sure what I say is understandable. Short sentences and simple verbiage provides a message that is easily understood. Big words and a superior attitude lose your audience by making them feel stupid. Speak clearly. Be open to questions and convey the message that we are all learners.
Is your message consistent?
In addition to voices, our lives declare a message. Consistency matters. If your words say one thing and your actions speak something else, your voice loses its impact. And you can be sure others are watching to see if your life is true to your words. Don’t let inconsistent words and actions cause others to stumble, or halt forward motion. What message does your life voice?
Does your voice proclaim truth?
Often, those who speak truth are shunned. That is certainly true of Old Testament prophets. Many people do not want to hear truth, or have their actions called into question. Some even go to great lengths to silence voices of truth.
Old Testament kings issued death threats against prophets. Present day assassins silence with bullets. Yet, the truth prevails.
Are you willing to speak truth, life, and blessings, or will fear silence your voice?
“Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]” (Ephesians 4:29 AMP).
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b NIV).
Are you willing to speak truth, life, and blessings, or will fear silence your voice?
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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