Faith

IT IS BETTER TO KEEP QUIET THAN TO SPEAK UNBELIEF

by Ezekiel Olukolajo
04/11/25
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“It’s Better to Keep Your Mouth Shut than to Speak Doubts and Unbelief”

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. Luke 1:18-20;

Attention! It’s better to keep your mouth shut than to speak doubts and unbelief. This is one lesson that many believers have failed to learn in their walk with God, and they usually pay dearly for it. When you speak doubts and unbelief, many things are at risk in your life, if you doubt me, please ask Zacharias. You have nothing to lose when you speak the works of faith and assurance in God, but you have everything to lose when you choose to speak doubts and unbelief.  

After many years of childlessness, God, in His divine timing decided to visit Zacharias and his wife, Elisabeth. The message of God’s divine visitation that Angel Gabriel came to deliver about the birth of John was supposed to be a thrilling news that should have been received by Zacharias with all excitements and joy, but he chose to welcome the message with words of doubts and unbelief.

For speaking unbelief and doubt, Zacharias was made deaf and dumb for over two hundred and seventy (270) days! Why did the Angel selectively deal with Zacharias’ mouth and ears? As a reprimand for his words of faithlessness and doubt, the Angel could have made Zacharias crippled, lame, blind or something, but the fact that the Angel (Gabriel) chose to make Zacharias deaf and dumb, is really instructive: the mouth that speaks doubts and unbelief must be silenced, the ears that hear words of doubts and unbelief must be equally stopped! Just as the mouths that spill out words of doubts and unbelief, the ears that listen to words of unbelief and doubts are equally guilty, that’s why Zacharias’ mouth and ears were both punished. In the Book of Luke 8:18A, Jesus says “Take heed therefore how ye hear”, this simply means you can become guilty, not only by what you say, but also by what you hear or listen to!   

When we compare the statement Zacharias made in Luke 1:18 “Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years”, with the statement Mary made in Luke 1: 34 “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man”, it would appear the two statements are alike, in the sense that both convey some elements of doubts and unbelief. We may therefore wonder why Angel Gabriel would choose to punish Zacharias for his words of unbelief and doubts, but decided to spare Mary for making a similar statement. It’s important to remember that Zacharias and Mary were not coming from the same point in their relationship with God: Mary was just a teenage girl, who probably (as at that time) had very little knowledge and experience of God, unlike Zacharias, who was a Priest and a custodian of God’s law and ordinances. As a Priest, Zacharias was expected to know better when it comes to what God can do. In fact, as a Priest, part of his responsibilities was to teach people the ways and laws of the Almighty God. It’s therefore disappointing that Zacharias, who was supposed to teach people about God and the great wonders He can do, himself lacked faith in the God that he was meant to teach others about. A little wonder why the Angel gave him the treatment of a faithless unbeliever, but chose to spare the young Mary. James 3:1 says “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation”.

Dearly beloved, it’s really dangerous for you to make your mouth and ears available for words of doubts and unbelief. Anytime you speak or listen to words of unbelief, faithlessness and doubts, you’re discounting your life, you definitely stand to lose something! Listen, sometimes, your head (mind) may be full of doubt, but never speak your doubts because you will have whatever you say! When God says He would do something that looks humanly impossible in your life and situations, never you say “HOW”, just say “WOW”!

Amen!

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