I am sitting here at my kitchen table with my hot cup Teaof organic traditional medicinal pregnancy tea at 3:30am (I would highly recommend this tea for any of my pregnant friends to try) after celebrating a wonderful and relaxing Valentines dinner and a movie with my husband and some dear friends of ours. Whether due to being 21 weeks pregnant or due to the fact that I just need some peace and quiet to blog some of the things God has been stirring in my heart, either way, sleep has evaded me and I am here wide awake and ready to blog some of my recent thoughts.

A few nights ago, (Friday, February 12) I was headed to ReviveFlorida at Abundant Life Church in Sarasota wondering if it was worth the hour long drive to get there in heavy traffic with six crazy kids in the car. Things started looking up once we were there and eating dinner with the rest of our growing Revive family. I headed in to worship feeling more encouraged already.

images-3During worship, something happened that grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go. I don’t know if you have ever experienced this, but there are moments when someone does something and the atmosphere literally shifts and the Presence of God gets released in a tangible way. I have had this happen simply by someone giving a hug at the right time, or noticing a need, or releasing a word from God and healing breaks forth. It can happen anywhere at anytime by listening to the inner promptings of the Voice of God.

I just happened to be looking up at the stage in the middle of one of the songs, and one of the singers was struggling with his microphone. He was singing but the microphone was not capturing his voice, and the worship was a little flat because of it. One of the female vocalists on the team saw what was happening, and in a very downplayed fashion, walked over quickly to his mike stand and grabbed his mike and replaced it with her own microphone which was picking up sound quite well.images-2 I was so touched by this simple action of humility that I began to cry.  It literally opened the door for heaven to invade the room. Not only was his voice being released in a powerful way so that we could all be led into worship, but she had given up her voice for him to be heard. There is something about humility like she demonstrated that calls to the very heart of God to move heaven and earth to see it. She had assessed the situation and realized that for the worship team to best lead the group where they needed to go, the male vocalist needed to be heard. So, she gave up her right to be heard and recognized in the effort for God to be glorified.

Sometimes, we need to realize that the most important part of having a voice and using it is knowing WHEN to use it. Sometimes the most powerful things we can do is give a voice to another person. This was a powerful revelation to me. It wasn’t that the girl who gave up her mike had a bad voice, or didn’t want to sing. In fact, she had a beautiful voice and she could have easily led the song. But it wasn’t her song to lead. It was his. And she knew it. She knew it was more important that others hear his voice than for her to be heard. Evimages-1en though she was good. Even though she had so much love to share. This hit home for me. This was a personal revelation from God to me.

God has given us a voice and He wants us to use it. It is important that we use it. But it is just as important that we know when to step back and let someone else use their voice. We need to remember that life isn’t a show highlighting us and our gifts, but rather the Gift-Giver Himself! And sometimes that means stepping back and letting another person bring God to life.

The stepping back process is also true discipleship. Training faithful people to do what you do and then stepping back and letting them do it. In essence, Jesus did this with His disciples. They watched him bring heaven to earth, and then He stepped back and sent them out with the instructions to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)  Pretty much, He was saying to them: “It’s your time to shine. Go invade the world with the Kingdom of Heaven Light that I have shown you. Do what I have done.” He could have gone and done it, and he could have done it better than they did. But He wanted them to use their voice. He wanted them to grow in confidence. He wanted them to release heaven on earth. And the way for them to do that was for Him to step back. “The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.” Luke 22:26ID-10029952

I feel like I am in a season where the Lord is showing me where and how to use my voice, and most of the time that means being the one that is letting someone else use theirs. Life is not about my agenda, or my glory. It is ALL for His glory. And sometimes that means stepping back and letting someone else use my microphone.

 

 

Picture credits:

” Microphone” by Master Isolated Images

Written by angela adkins

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