The Lord is good, and He alone is faithful. I am a wimp and a weakling, and I turn at the potential for discomfort and ridicule and shame, but God is powerful. He goes out before us and works out every teeny little detail.
I went to Broadripple tonight and walked around for a while and handed out tracts. I only talked to one guy, Douglas, who was a neat guy but needs a lot of prayer. I definitely received ridicule and shame tonight. For whatever reason, there was a lot of laughing at me and shaking of heads with scornful smirks. I can't express how good it felt. This has such a cleansing affect on us. The average Christian (me included) is so enslaved to the fear of man that they are hardly willing to share their faith. We hide behind "being an example", and "I'm just really loving on them", and "I'm just trying to be a light". These are all things we should obviously do, but as far as this being our only witnessing method, it's not very biblical.
I don't say this smugly or with disdain (because I have the same struggle), but honestly think when the last time you were laughed at or persecuted for your beliefs? I avoid these opportunities like the plague, yet when they come and I actually take them on with the Lord's help, it's so wonderful and cleansing. The Lord uses these situations to forge our faith...
[10] "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. [12] "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. -Matthew 5:10-12 (NASB)
Again, for my vast readership of two, please don't take this as judgment but take this as a challenge to be more bold in your faith. We know the cure for the worst disease to ever strike the world, yet we don't share it because we are afraid of what others might think of us. Those words are so repulsive that they're even hard to type. The fact that I am so concerned with my well being that I am unwilling to intrude upon that to share the antidote with someone who has a spiritual disease they don't fully understand and has an eternally fatal prognosis.
Again, again, please don't take this as judgment. If this post sounds like I'm criticizing you and it has a bit of a bite to it, please know this is only because I am the guiltiest of all. I have known this good news for many years now and have been so fearful to share it.
I am reminded of a story about Hudson Taylor, the great missionary pioneer to China. He had troubles in getting prepared and eventually getting over to China (hang ups with missionary boards and the like). He met a man who was recently saved and his father had just passed away. This man asked why no one had come earlier, even though they knew the good news for centuries, because never hearing the gospel, he believed his father was now in hell. We have this good news and there are friends, family, neighbors and strangers who don't.
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