Be a Big Tree; Not a Shrub.

The prophets in scripture bear testimony to God’s concern for human beings. The prophet acts while the rest of the world is at ease and asleep because we are of divine concern. (Heschel, The Prophets) to God. When we learn to stand up for ourselves, we are creating a habit of also speaking out for injustices everywhere.

As believers, we need to take full responsibility for our spiritual, emotional, sexual, financial, and general health. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1) I know someone who is in divorce proceedings and the key witness, a friend, won’t stand up as a witness for her defense because she doesn’t want the stress. This friend needs to be gently rebuked and encouraged like the prophets did to Israel.

Emulating the prophets before us, we must:

1. Have a bold voice (Amos, Isaiah, Micah, Deborah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk and Second Isaiah.

2. Make sure that the person you speak to is prepared to receive your message before you explain what you need (not doing something else, are sober, and are present).

3. Have boundaries that you are prepared to enforce if they don’t.

It seems that until we have this type of courage, the winds of life drag us up to the sky like Dorothy’ house; we have no spine, no moral anchor. At times like this we need to get tough. “I am sending you out like a sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16).

It is hard to be confrontational, but the whole message of the prophets and of the Lord is to not accept the status quo when someone is being hurt; and that starts with ourselves. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13.31-32) Be the big tree so you can use all the potential God gave you!

Written by Shira Pacult