Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president

Do you ever think out loud? I do.

If you were to pull up beside me while I am driving to different places here in western Washington, there may be times where you would catch me talking to the empty space in my car. I will have entire conversations with myself as I think and pray over the issues that may be on my mind.

There are other times that my wife will come into the room where I am sitting, and she will stop and look at me and I will know that my lips are moving and even though no sound may be coming out she can tell I am thinking and talking through the issue at hand. Of course, she usually pokes fun at me for talking to myself and wants to make sure that I am not losing my mind. I think I am good so far at least.

There is a great example, though, for those who think out loud. That example is Jesus Christ. There is a great line in the book Desire of Ages that talks about thinking out loud. It is found on the first page of the first chapter of the book. There is says: “He was the Word of God—God’s thought made audible,”(page 19).

I like that because it says that God thinks out loud as well. Of course, God’s audible thoughts are so much more profound that mine. In that He came to this earth, lived the majority of His life in a poverty-stricken town filled with evil and yet lived in such a way that shows how each of us can live.

John 1:1 also says that Jesus was the Word. He is the audible thinking out loud that God did in front of the entire universe. He didn’t just think out loud. He put His thoughts into action. He lived this audible life by staying connected with His heavenly home which continually gives Him strength.

Desire of Ages tells us about this part of his audible life on page 71:

During this time of being on pandemic lockdown, please keep your thoughts on Jesus. If you want to think out loud that is ok. Most of all keep looking to the greatest audible thought that ever happen which is Jesus Christ. He will fill you with even more great thoughts that you can share out loud to those you meet.