Don't Silence Your Unique Voice

Sadly, it has been a long time since I have written a blog post. My life took on a new direction professionally over the last year and a half, and I ceased writing what was on my heart. There were times I sat down with the intention to write, but nothing came – nothing.
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It really began to bother me and I began to seek the Lord on why I was having such an issue returning to what I had loved for so long. I had also noticed that I was beginning to feel dead inside and numb to things I am usually passionate about.

So, why did my new job change this area of my life?  I had to change the way I was writing. I was thrust into writing in the nonprofit industry and writing documents with industry appropriate language, and writing letters for others and trying to imitate the way they would speak. I was learning to write using everyone else’s voice but my own. It was a real struggle for me, and still is, but because it is part of my job I tried my very best to learn to write this way.

As I inquired of the Lord, He showed me that I had spent so much time learning to sound like someone else, that I had voluntarily began to silence my own voice.

We have all heard of ghost writers, and this is in many ways what I had become. However, it really hit home to me just how far I had gotten from being true to myself when a dear friend of mine told me, “You’ve been like a ghost lately.” She was right. I had ceased writing anything the Lord laid on my heart. I ceased communicating with those closest to me. I ceased doing Bible studies with others. The more I squashed my own voice, the more I became withdrawn and lifeless.
No one forced me to put aside my own voice. I did it voluntarily because I bought into the lie of the enemy. I bought into the lie that the work of the ministry I was working for was more important than the work God was asking me to do on an individual basis, so devoting my time to the work of the ministry should be my top priority. I was busy doing kingdom work, but my priority list did not match God’s priority list.

This is my first step in finding my voice again. I want to encourage you not to let anyone silence your voice, and certainly don’t do it voluntarily as I did. Your voice is unique and needs to be heard. 

Copyright 2021 Christine L. Edwards