Puttin’ The Devil Out Of Business

Read II Timothy 1:1-18

“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 the sad fact is, we sometimes 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 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 why we shrink back from sharing our faith, but I believe that 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 the reasons I’ve already mentioned. The fact that even the very thought of witnessing brings shame, fear, nervousness and reluctance is 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 every worry about not having the right words to describe a can’t-miss movie? Of course not!

So why the shame-fear-timidity over sharing about Jesus? Your Enemy doesn’t want you to since it puts him out of business!

Puttin’ the devil out of business! Now that in itself makes me want 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 this 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 it. Remember, your self-discipline will enable you to brush aside the Enemy’s manipulation while tapping 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 help put the devil out of business.

Prayer… Lord, today, give me an opportunity to give someone the Good News. 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