Day 22 — Speak Up

“Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.”

— Proverbs 31:8–9 (BSB)

The last chapter of Proverbs contains advice a mother gave to her son, a young king named Lemuel. She wanted him to be a good king. So she told him to use his power to help people who couldn’t help themselves: “Open your mouth for those with no voice.”

Some people have no voice. That doesn’t mean they can’t talk. It means nobody listens to them, or they don’t have the power to stand up for themselves. They might be poor, sick, very young, very old, disabled or treated unfairly. The Bible says God cares deeply about them, and He wants His people to speak up for them.

About two hundred years ago, a man in England named William Wilberforce became a Christian. He was a member of Parliament, which is like being a lawmaker. He learned about the terrible slave trade, where people were being captured, chained and sold, and he believed God wanted him to fight against it.

Many powerful people opposed him. He was mocked and threatened. He lost vote after vote. But for about twenty years, he kept speaking up for people who had no voice. Finally, in 1807, Parliament voted to end the slave trade. Wilberforce kept working for the rest of his life to end slavery completely.

You don’t have to be a lawmaker to speak up. Here are ways kids can open their mouths for those with no voice:

• Stand up for a kid who’s being bullied. Say, “Stop, that’s not okay.” And tell a trusted adult.
• Include someone who’s always left out.
• Don’t laugh at jokes that make fun of people because of how they look, where they’re from or how they’re different.
• Tell a grown-up if you see someone being hurt or treated unfairly.
• Help people in need, and ask your family how you can help too.
• Pray for people who are treated unfairly around the world.

Speaking up takes courage. It might not be popular. But when you speak up for someone who can’t speak up for themselves, you’re doing exactly what Jesus did for you.

Think about it: Who are people with “no voice” in your school or community? How could you speak up for them?

Try this: The next time you see someone being treated unfairly, don’t stay silent. Say something kind, stand with them or tell a trusted adult.

Dear God, thank You that You care about people who have no voice. Give me courage to open my mouth for them, to stand up for kids who are bullied, to include people who are left out and to help people in need. Make me brave. In Jesus’ name, Amen.