"Keep silent?"

I wish I knew. Have you ever had one of those times where you wish you knew what to say or how to encourage someone? You wish you knew if you needed to say something or keep silent? I am at one of those day. I am about to find the answer in this writing.

Preaching/teaching really makes my heart ache sometimes. First, I don't like the title of 'preacher' or 'minister' or even 'evangelist.' I realize Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist (II Tim. 4:5). I am well aware that the Lord placed evangelists in the church to equip the saints for their work of service (Eph. 4:11-12). It is the title! I don't like titles. I am simply a man, who happens to preach/teach God's word and strives to get people to see God and not himself. Preachers get too much credit and praise! Others are way over-paid!!!

Why am I saying this today? It's because of what I hear from preaching and other preachers when I travel to other places. It really hurts my heart. I am not sure that preachers even know what is expected from the Lord. Sometimes they are more concerned with what another preacher thinks of them than the Lord. It is Christ Jesus, the judge of the living and the dead that will determine the faithfulness and the content of what is preached. I hear preachers that are actually 'robbing' others of faith. They have done it so long, they are unaware. They have no clue how to put the heart and faith of the people into the hands of God. I want so badly to preach the truth! I want others to see the majesty, the grandeur and power of God. I want to stay out of the way and not distract another's faith. It was Paul who proclaimed to the Corinthian brethren that their faith should never rest on the wisdom of men but the power of God. Yet, I hear more and more about the wisdom of man, what someone has written, what a commentator says rather than simply God. I want to help but with no appearance of arrogance or self righteousness. I simply want to help. But that brings me back to my original thought...should I say something or keep silent? I know the answer and it is to keep silent because the Lord hasn't opened any doors for me to speak. That's a relief. "Cease striving and know that I am God." The Lord knows what we need, when we need to do something and being still and not doing it our way is always better!