Ephesians 5:11 (NIV) says, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
In the time that we are living in today, you can’t help but see a lot of troubling things happening around us. Whether it’s people with authority abusing their power, adults losing their tempers and starting fights, or kids bullying one another, we should all be concerned about how anger and rage seem to be out of control. When we see all this happening, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, do we sit back and do nothing, or should we be even more dedicated to showing others how God wants us to live?
Part of refusing to participate in darkness, as Ephesians 5:11 tells us, is being willing to stand for what is right when we see that someone is being mistreated.
Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV) says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
All of us have influence with others. As God’s children, we should see that influence as a responsibility to reveal the character of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this by walking in love the way He did. That doesn’t mean that we are anybody’s doormat. Part of what it means is actually speaking up for people who might be struggling and may not know how to speak for themselves. We can support them through prayer and by not staying silent when we see them in trouble.
This passage also talks about how we need to judge fairly. That means we shouldn’t be so aggressive about how we speak up for people that no one cares to hear what we have to say. Our desire to defend someone should still be guided by truth and what is right. We should defend others according to the way God wants it done. That means we stay close to Him and do what He says.
It’s true that these days, it can be challenging to speak up without getting backlash, but the truth always wins. We shouldn’t be afraid to speak God’s truth when He tells us to. That means that sometimes, we must push through fear and trust that He is backing us as we tell people when their actions are hurting others.
There are many ways we can speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. We can encourage our pastors to teach more on helping those in need, we could remind others we know about how God expects us to speak up for the rights of those who may not be able to speak for themselves, and we can write about it on our social media platforms. And something that all of us can do is make a commitment to always include those who are poor and in need in our prayers.
In conclusion, always try to help others when they’re in need of help and be encouraged to speak on anything that God prompts you to, no matter how big or small the situation is. This way we can spread the Word of God and make the world a little bit better.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“Staying Silent When Seeing Trouble”, written for aheartforchristdevotions.blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2026. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
