The Courage to Be the Voice of Truth

By: Pastor José Flávio Macieira — 2025

This reflection is part of the series "The Fire of Truth on Mount Carmel," inspired by the themes from the book "The Desert Therapy."

The real disturbance comes not from the voice that speaks the truth, but from the silence that consents to the lie.

Imagine a corporate board meeting. The company is in crisis, results are plummeting, but no one dares to address the real issue. The blame is cast on the market, the economy, the competitors. Then, a courageous manager raises their hand and says, "With all due respect, the problem isn't out there. It's in here, in our internal culture and processes." Immediately, the atmosphere in the room turns cold. The one who dared to speak the truth is not seen as a problem-solver, but as the problem. The "troubler" of the peace. This is exactly the scene Elijah faces when he meets King Ahab again.

“When he saw Elijah, he said to him, ‘Is that you, you troubler of Israel?’ ‘I have not made trouble for Israel,’ Elijah replied. ‘But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.’” (1 Kings 18:17-18 NIV)

After three and a half years of a devastating drought, the prophet and the king meet. Ahab's first word is not one of repentance or a search for a solution, but a furious accusation. In the king's mind, the cause of the national calamity was the word of the prophet who announced it. But Elijah, with a courage forged in dependence on God, is not intimidated. He flips the accusation, acting as a mirror that reflects the truth back into the king's face: the real trouble, the root cause of all the suffering, was the sin and idolatry of the leadership. The drought was not the disease; it was the symptom. Elijah was not the arsonist; he was the fire alarm.

The truth is like a fire alarm. No one likes the shrill, disturbing sound of an alarm. It interrupts our sleep, causes panic. But it would be insane to blame the alarm for the fire. The alarm is not the problem; it is the alert to the real danger that threatens to destroy the house. Ahab wanted to smash the fire alarm (Elijah) so he could go back to sleeping comfortably while the foundations of his kingdom burned. Our culture often does the same: it attacks the messenger to avoid dealing with the uncomfortable truth of the message.

We live in an age of "peace at any cost." In our families, companies, and even churches, superficial harmony is often valued more than honest truth. The person who points out a systemic problem, a veiled injustice, or a corporate sin is quickly labeled as "divisive," "negative," or, as Ahab would say, a "troubler." The gospel, however, offers a better narrative about peace. True peace (shalom) is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice and righteousness. Lasting peace can only be built on the foundation of truth, even if the exposure of that truth is, initially, disturbing.

It is terrifying to be the voice of truth in a hostile environment. The fear of being misunderstood, isolated, or punished is real. The grace of God does not make us immune to this fear, but it gives us an identity that is stronger than it. Elijah's courage did not come from an absence of fear, but from the certainty of his identity as a "servant of the living God." Grace frees us from needing the approval of the "King Ahabs" in our lives because we already have the unshakable approval of the King of kings. He does not send us to speak the truth alone; His presence is the authority and security that accompanies us.

Your Next Step of Courage

Identify an "inconvenient truth" in your sphere of influence (family, work, friendships) that has been ignored for fear of "disturbing" the peace. Ask God for wisdom and love to, if the opportunity arises this week, be a voice of constructive truth—not of accusation, but of a search for true peace.

The Mirror of the Soul

1. In what situations do you avoid "disturbing the peace," even when you know God's truth is being compromised or ignored?

2. How can you differentiate, in your own heart, between being a "troubler" out of arrogance and being a prophetic voice out of love for God's truth and for people?

3. Does the "fire alarm" analogy change your perspective on the voices that bring uncomfortable truths into your life?

Prayer Lord, God of truth, forgive me when I value superficial peace more than Your holy Word. Give me Elijah's clarity to identify the true cause of the problems around me. Fill me with the courage to be a voice of truth in love, even if it means being called a "troubler." May my loyalty to You be greater than my fear of others' opinions. In Jesus' name, amen.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conviction that God's truth is worth more than our tranquility.

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