“Never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.”
(II Timothy 1:8)
Thoughts… Why on earth would we ever be ashamed to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others? Yet often we are. We are afraid people will reject us. We worry that our “one way to God” message will cause us to come off as narrow and intolerant. We stress out over not being able to adequately articulate the plan of salvation. We assume there will be objections that we are ill-prepared to handle.
There are a hundred reasons we shrink back from sharing our faith, but I believe underneath them all is the fact that the Enemy hates the truth we bear. So he works overtime to keep us from declaring it—inclusive of all the reasons I’ve already mentioned. The very fact that even the thought of witnessing brings shame, fear, nervousness and reluctance is one strong proof in itself that the our Gospel message really is the Good News of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Think about it: Are you ever reluctant to tell your neighbors about a fine dining experience you’ve recently enjoyed? Are you ever timid about boasting of your favorite football team? Do you ever worry about not having the right words to describe a can’t-miss movie? Of course not!
So why the shame, fear and timidity over sharing about Jesus? Frankly, your Enemy doesn’t want you to since it puts him out of business! That in itself is reason enough to seize the very next witnessing moment and lead someone out of the Enemy’s clutches. But while anger at the Enemy may be a motive, there’s an even better one for sharing our faith. In the previous verse, II Timothy 1:7, Paul gives Timothy the antidote for his reluctance to share Christ,
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”
That’s God’s promise to you, too. So the next time you are afraid and timid in a witnessing opportunity, reject those emotions. Remember, your self-discipline will enable you to brush aside the Enemy’s manipulation, allowing you to tap into God’s power and love to share the greatest news to ever hit this planet.
If God gives you the opportunity today, go ahead, share your faith and put another nail in the devil’s coffin, because one of these days he is going out of business for good. So let’s just speed him along!
Prayer… Lord, today, give me an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. By faith, I receive an infusion of your power and love. Let them overflow from my life and touch someone with the wonderful story of your saving grace.
One More Thing… “Let me not be a mile-post on a single road, but make me a fork that men must turn one way or another in facing Christ in me.” — Jim Elliott
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