Peace, Passion, and Proclamation

God is calling us to know Him better, to acquire knowledge, and to use that knowledge to more effectively walk in His ways, without fear, not holding back.   Here's an encouraging passage from 2nd Peter chapter 1:
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,3as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We have access to the truth of God and can gain a greater understanding of the nature of God as we study and consider carefully the principles we find in His Word.  And, we build confidence as we seek to proclaim His truth.  When the Lord calls us to a certain endeavor, maybe to speak into the life of another, perhaps to minister to a person that needs to experience that freedom that comes from knowing Jesus, He will build a sense of boldness within us as we develop conviction and take the necessary steps of preparation in order to make a strong statement for Him.
God is calling us to know Him better, and as we grow in Him, we can become more diligent in spreading the knowledge of God and the truth of His Word to those around us.  Consider these words from 2nd Corinthians 2:14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.

The latest Nobel Peace Prize recipients are Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi.  Malala is the youngest recipient of the award, at 17 years of age.  She is from Pakistan; Satyarthi a 60-year-old man from India. According to a piece on the ChristianHeadlines.com website, they both advocate for protection against child slavery, extremism and child labor.

Satyarthi is quoted as saying that, "Child slavery is a crime against humanity. Humanity itself is at stake here. A lot of work still remains but I will see the end of child labor in my lifetime.”

Yousafzai gained international attention in 2012 after surviving a Taliban attack. She was shot in the head after arguing with a militant that girls should have the same educational opportunities as boys; she miraculously survived the shooting.

Columnist Jim Denison writes that on her 16th birthday, she made her first public speech after the attack:

Appearing at the United Nations, she stated: "The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born."

She was named one of Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World."  Denison relates that she was asked why she would risk her life, and replied: "Why should I wait for someone else? Why should I be looking to the government or the army, that they would help us? Why don't I raise my voice? Why don't we speak up for our rights?"  

She challenged the United Nations: "Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world."

Malala has become an inspiration to a number of people - as a young girl, she has been a champion for education for children, even to the extent that it put her at odds with the Taliban, who attempted to take her life.  But, rather than be intimidated into silence, she continues to speak - and her voice has been heard around the world.   

Even though Malala is Muslim, she is not afraid to take on those that would manipulate religion to further oppression.   That was a cornerstone of the earthly ministry of Jesus - He was confrontational with those who had perverted the Old Testament and attempted to use the Scriptures to oppress other people.   

We can examine our own lives and see where our passions lie.  When we see other human beings who are suffering from lack of freedom and laboring under the weight of bondage, could there perhaps be a way that God is showing you to help speak into their situations?   Jesus came to set the captive free, and He desires to use us as His ambassadors to show the way to His truth, which brings freedom.  We can become agents of proclamation, to perhaps take up a cause and demonstrate His principles.

And, we may have to fight off intimidation along the way.  Malala basically put her life at risk because she believed in a cause.  Is there perhaps something in your life that you feel so strongly about that you are willing to encounter some risk in order to further the cause?   If you are being led of the Lord to take up a cause, you can be confident of God's presence with you as He calls you out of your comfort zone to bring liberty or healing to the lives of another person or group of people.   

Malala believes strongly in education, and so do I.   God has given us wonderful minds, and He desires for us to use them for His glory.  While her cause apparently deals with secular education, which is highly important, I submit that we as Christians should be involved in the education of the spirit, learning God's truth so that we may grow in the ways of the Lord and strengthened in our walk with Him.  He wants to transform us by the renewing of our minds.