Have you ever experienced Laryngitis? That’s right, the illness that affects your vocal cords and you lose your voice. A few years ago, I had just returned from a mission trip to China and developed a severe case of laryngitis. I had a house full of company, people I dearly loved and hadn’t seen in months yet I could hardly communicate with them. I had words I wanted to express but no voice box with which to speak. Thoughts, joys, hard aches trapped inside me. Strangely enough, I find myself with spiritual laryngitis today, feelings, words, emotions, and thoughts trapped inside me and looking for a way out. I know Jesus is King, I know He is alive, I know He walks before us, and He hems us in. I believe. But yet…
When the believers were gathered in the upper room after Jesus’ death and after the women discovered that He had risen, they too may have developed a type of laryngitis. Perhaps it was some type of frozen state where their minds and words just shut down but then something happened, Jesus appeared to them. He reassured them, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things”. Luke 24:45-48.
My spiritual laryngitis hurts the world I live in. When I “lose my voice” the world is deprived of His victory. The good news of Jesus has been delivered to the front door of my life since I was a little girl; therefore, for 50 odd years I’ve heard the message of salvation. This news of a living Christ who redeems the world is still true, isn’t it? The late, Mike Yaconelli once wrote that for many Christians, ‘the GOOD NEWS has just become OK News’. We’re not excited; our hearts are not burning within us, racing from the tomb to tell the news.
Do you know that there are people in my sphere of influence who are living life without knowledge of a personal Saviour? The Good news has not been delivered to their front door. They do not know this name, Jesus. They live with spiritual laryngitis and believe there is no cure other than themselves, their achievements, their family, and their next job? Shouldn’t I tell them the News?
What do I do with the command, “You are witnesses of these things”
