Episode 364
Healing and Advocacy for the Voiceless
"Serving starts at home, and home is with you first."- Wesleyne
Word of the Day
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy." – Proverbs 31:8-9
Summary
In this episode, the message focuses on the often-overlooked verses of Proverbs 31, emphasizing the importance of speaking up for the voiceless and advocating for those in need.
It highlights the necessity of defending not only others but also our inner child who may have suffered silently in the past. The discussion underscores the importance of finding a safe space to share our traumas and break the silence that keeps us bound.
By doing so, we begin the process of healing and can effectively advocate for ourselves and others.
Takeaways
- Speak Up for Others: It’s crucial to advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves.
- Defend the Voiceless: Recognize the importance of defending the rights of the poor and needy.
- Addressing Personal Trauma: Acknowledge and speak up for your inner child who may have experienced trauma.
- Safe Spaces for Sharing: Find trusted advisors, friends, therapists, or support groups to share your experiences.
- Healing through Advocacy: Breaking your silence is the first step towards healing and empowerment.
Chapters
- 00:00 -Introduction to Proverbs 31
Exploring the lesser-known verses about advocacy and justice.
- 00:58 -The Importance of Speaking Up
Discussing why it’s essential to speak up for those who cannot defend themselves.
- 03:18 -Personal Reflection and Trauma
Encouraging listeners to address their inner child’s traumas and find a safe space to share.
- 05:11 -Finding Support
Identifying trusted advisors, therapists, and support groups for healing.
- 07:00 -Breaking the Silence
Encouragement to break the silence and no longer suffer alone.
What questions are you struggling to answer? Wesleyne would love to answer these questions for you personally. Send any questions or prayer requests to hello@askwesleyne.com
Follow Wesleyne on Instagram @wesleynewhittaker
Transcript
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31 verses 8 and 9.
Often when we hear about Proverbs 31 and the Proverbs 31, virtuous woman, we read verses 10 through 30 and we skip those few verses before. But what we are learning, a part of being virtuous, a part of taking care of your household and working with your hands,
and coming alongside your spouse and taking care of your children is to also to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. As people we often think it's not my business, there's no reason for me to get involved in that. I'm gonna stay out of that. But if everyone had that attitude, if everyone said it's not my business, I'm not going to.
bother myself with this or with that, then where would we be as a world today? If no one ever spoke up for you who had trouble learning in school and never advocated for you and said, this child needs a little bit of extra attention, this child needs their work to be modified, where would you be today? If no one spoke up for you,
when you were at work and you did all the work, all the things behind the scenes and someone else took credit for it. And if no one ever spoke your name in a room and said, no, no, no, that's not right. This person is the one who did the work. This person is the one who is the one who should gain the recognition.
Wesleyne (:then would you be as successful as you are today?
Wesleyne (:So we often understand how important it is to speak up for others. And many times it's easier to speak up for others than to speak up for ourselves.
And sometimes as children, there are things that happen to us. Yes, happened to us. That we want to keep hidden, that we want to keep buried, that we don't want anyone else to find out about.
until we keep them pushed down. But that little girl or that little boy that was neglected or molested or abused or talked about badly, that little boy, that little girl, they need somebody to speak up for them today. They need someone to say, this person violated me.
I was a victim of this. This happened to me. Why? Because when you were five or six or eight or 10, you didn't have a voice. You weren't able to speak up for yourself. But now is the time for you to come out of hiding. Now is the time for you to release the shame. Now is the time for you to release any guilt, anything that you have been holding onto.
Because as I said these things happen to you they were not your fault and It is our job as adults to defend the rights of the poor and the needy That's you too remember Serving starts at home It starts at home and home is with you first So you must
Wesleyne (:You must speak up for that inner child within you that never ever was able to speak up for themselves.
And what does that speaking up look like? One, you must do it in a safe place.
It's typically not a good idea to speak up.
to the person that offended you first, to the person that violated you first, because they may not be in a place to receive it and your pain that you've been carrying for so long, it may just be magnified and it may become worse. So find a trusted advisor, a friend that has shown you empathy and compassion, find a therapist.
someone who is trained in dealing with the type of childhood trauma that you endured. Find someone in your local church. Many churches around the world have Stevens ministers and they are lay ministers that help you through a time of crisis. So maybe find a Stevens minister or a support group.
Wesleyne (:There are support groups for every single thing that you could think about for victims of sexual abuse, for domestic violence, for people that grew up with an addict parent. There are support groups and in those support groups, every single person in that support group has gone through the same thing that you've gone through. So,
Break your silence. Find someone that you can break your silence with. No longer suffer alone.
