“For really tough stains, just shout it out!” Do you remember the commercial for the laundry spot remover, “Shout”? Guess what? It’s still true!
Do you have some really tough things staining your life? Circumstances you didn’t expect? Guilt and shame you regret? A broken heart? Debt up to your eyeballs? Situations at work? Living in pain? A cloud of discouragement that follows you around? It’s time to: shout it out! Yes, you’re reading correctly. Shout!
What kind of shout? I’m not talking about ranting, bitter, angry shouting. I’m talking about the shout God tells us give: the shout of victory. The shout of thanksgiving. The shout of gratitude. The shout of faith. The shout of joy. Is it any wonder that the contemporary worship song, “Shout to the Lord” has been the number one song in churches around the world for the past few years?
Shouting connects with something God has put inside of us. When we’re feeling most defeated is when we need to shout the loudest - somehow God responds to the shout of faith. I don’t know why the Bible tells us to “shout”... but I do know it works!
Why shout? Because, too many gals are losing at life! They are living life on the edge ... the edge of depression and anxiety. They are feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, used and abused, lonely and tired. Too many ladies are frustrated with marriage and parenting troubles, hormonal issues, codependency, compulsive-obsessive and addictive behavior. We’ve got issues. We’re trapped in prisons of silence and getting beat up with our own thoughts and cycle of defeat.
It’s amazing what shouting to the Lord will do for you? He told us to “shout for joy”! Wonder if we get GET joy by shouting? He said, shout with a voice of triumph ... wonder if we GET victory by shouting? I can just hear it, “That’s stupid. I don’t want to shout. What’s the point? You’re crazy.”
How crazy? Ever watched a WMU football game? Or better yet, the parents of little Zachery at a soccer game? Do the words ‘raving maniac’ come to mind? Does mom or dad care what they look like as they shout? “Zach, kick it ... go after the ball ... knock ‘em down honey! Run Zach, kick it now ... score Zach ... yes, yes, whoo whoo ....” How about your daughter’s high school volleyball game? Does it matter that hundreds of people are sitting within feet of you? Not if your daughter just spiked the ball and won the point! You’re jumping over bleachers, shouting at the top of your lungs! We have no inhibitions when it comes to shouting wildly for our kids. We want them to score and get a victory, right?
So, do you need to score in life? Get victory? I know it sounds crazy ... so, just be crazy! I’ve found the best place to shout is in the car. On your next road trip, just open your mouth and start shouting for victory; for joy! Sure, you’ll look like a raving maniac, but you’ll be a stain-free, happy, victorious, joy-filled raving maniac!
Beth
P.S. If this subject interests you, perhaps you’ll want to listen to the audio version I taught at our church. Click here for more information.
