Have you ever felt the urge to talk to someone about Jesus, but the more moments you let pass by, the more you talked yourself out of doing it. Many things can come into play when you face a moment like this. It may be the personality of the person that makes you nervous to do this. It may be the lifestyle that you know they live and the fact that anything you say about God's word and God's truth is going to go against that lifestyle. Or it may just be the fact that speaking out in a moment like that has just always been hard for you to do. All of these things are very understandable reasons to be nervous or even scared to open up a conversation about Jesus to a nonbeliever. However, that is exactly why we should not rely on our own strength in a moment like this. Let Go and Let God!
I'm a firm believer in the fact that God will strategically place you in situations, places and even conversations that are an open door for you to introduce someone to His love. Sometimes we are obedient...and sometimes we let that moment pass us by. I hate to even say it, but it's true...sometimes we are so busy in our own agenda that we don't even realize the moment came and went. We are just going through life with our own set of plans each day and we don't stop and look for the opportunities that God is giving us.
Fear will always be the number one thing that the enemy will place right smack in front of you when it's time to share the gospel with someone. But I recently read something that has really stuck with me. It said "Both Fear and Faith require a believe in something you can not see"...so true! So what is expected of us? Are we expected to just walk down the street screaming of God's love? Are we expected to tell every single person we meet about Jesus? I would say no to the first one and I don't think so to the second one. What I do believe is that we are supposed to stay so close to, and in touch with, the Holy Spirit that when He says "now is the time", we just step out and do it. I believe that is the kind of obedience that God is looking for out of us. We step out of fear and step into faith and we share the amazing message of God's love.
Which brings me to my other point....we are there to tell them about God's truth...IN LOVE. So many times we are guilty of telling them the truth, but we forgot the love part. You don't want to guilt someone into coming to God. You don't want to drag someone to God. You want to create and environment with that person that allows the Holy Spirit to speak to their heart about what is missing in their life....God. The feeling of God's forgiveness, God's grace, God's mercy and most importantly...God's love. Hopefully we can all remember the moment that we realized just how much God loves us and the meaning behind what Jesus did for us. That is the moment we want to help someone else find. And doing it in love is really the only way that is going to happen.
So do I believe God expects us to spread the word....ABSOLUTELY. Do I believe He expects us t speak 100% truth, even when it's not easy....ABSOLUTELY. Do I believe He expects us to do it in love...ABSOLUTELY.
Standing on the street corner and screaming that everyone it going to hell may be the truth, but the love part is missing. God wants us to be effective. Jesus demonstrated how do it in love and He wants us to do it just as He did. Matthew 10:16 says "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." and 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 says "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love." I think with those 3 verses alone it is quite easy to see what is expected, and how it is expected.
I have said this to my friends before and I'll say it now. When it comes to speaking God's truth to someone.....If you had a friend that you knew was doing something that was going to lead to them either spending their life in prison or even dead, would you warn them? Would you try to get them to stop? Would you do all you could for that friend to get them to change the destructive path they are on? Well.....we all have friends that are on a path that is leading them straight into hell. Why is it we are not doing all we can to get them to change that destructive path? Help them understand their sin, and God's love. And what happens when we lay our sin at His feet.
God, Thank You that through your gift, Jesus Christ, you have already provided the way. Help us to rely on Your Spirit to tell us when it is time to share Your Word...and how to do it. Help us step out of ALL fear and speak in boldness and love about Your truth. May our own lives speak so loudly about what Your love can do to change someone that people will see You at work in us before we even speak the first word. In Jesus name, Amen.
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