...about being BOLD

Do you ever wonder why I’m always encouraging you to be bold in sharing the news of Christ with others? This has been the topic of many of my posts, and I’m sure that it will find its way into many future posts as well. So, why am I so insistent that we share our faith with others?

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15 NIV

There it is…right there in the Bible. After Christ had risen this was one of the final directives He gave the disciples before His ascension into the heavens. Do you believe that His words were only for the ears of those first disciples and not for us? You’re not really gonna answer “yes”, are you?

Okay, if it makes you feel any better, I don’t know that many people follow the bible to the letter; I must admit that I don’t. I’ve “confessed” that I didn’t start reading the Bible until a couple of years ago, and there is so much of it that I still don’t even know, so I can’t sit here and tell you that I base my life on its contents…but I’m working on it.

If the fact that Christ told us to go out and tell the world isn’t a good enough reason for you, then…

Share the good news of Christ with others for others.

I know the difference that having a relationship with Christ has made in my life, and I suspect that the same can be said for you. How can we not share who He is, what He is, and His goodness with others?

Share the good news of Christ with others for yourself.

You read it correctly; do it for yourself. I’m sure that you’ve heard the old saying “It is better to give than to receive.” Trust me on this one…there is no greater gift than introducing Christ into someone’s life.

Contrary to what you may be thinking, the gift is not theirs, but yours. They receive the grace and blessings of knowing Jesus. You receive the gift of Christ’s Spirit, which is a feeling that, for me, has yet to be matched by any material possession here on earth! And believe me, once you have walked being filled with His spirit, you will never want to be without it again!

Share the good news of Christ with others for our country…our world.

Let’s get real for a minute. Have you taken the time to check out, I mean really check out the world in which we live? I’m not a pessimist, but we are teetering on the edge of disaster. I’m asking you to look beyond the economy, inflation, the housing market, the jobless rate, and health insurance costs. While these problems are real, and touch many of us, they are not the kind of problems that has Satan dancing in the streets.

I’m talking about things like corruption in government, overthrowing sitting leaders of countries, governments turning a blind eye to famine and disease, and the atrocities of genocide. Too far away? Other people’s problems, you say? Glad it’s not US, as in U.S.?

Okay, how about murder, rape, child abuse, suicide, pornography, theft, and an ever-fading sense of morality in our country? Oh, and you can probably throw in just a touch of political dishonesty. Are you lookin’ now? At U.S.?

Here’s a question for you…

• Do you think that the problems facing our country and our world are in some way a result of our crumbling moral values? Or do you think that it’s a coincidence that everything seems to be going “to hell in a hand basket” all at the same time?

I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that you’re a Christian, or that you’re here seeking to know more about Him. I don’t know about you, but for me, walking that daily walk with Christ is accompanied by accountability for my every thought, word, and deed. Come to think of it, even when I wasn’t a “devoted” Christian, my knowledge of Christ and His teachings instilled a set of moral values in me that I couldn’t deny.

Which leads me to a series of questions…

• Do you think that now, more than ever, the world would be a much better place with more Christians in it? That more people need to know about Christ? And because of this, how can you not share the good news of Christ?

And, finally…

• Could you imagine your life without Christ in it? What if you had not been born into a Christian family, or had never been introduced to Him? Think about that one for a minute…how different would your life be?

Just ONE.

Look, I’m not asking you to go out and save the world. I’m not even asking you to save your neighborhood! I am asking that you never pass up an opportunity to share your faith with someone. Anyone. Just one.

I know, I know…for some of us, speaking openly about God is a hard thing to do. We worry about others will think of us…and that’s understandable.

Here’s a suggestion: perhaps you should try sneaking God into the conversation! Oh, there’s a good way to do it…

The next time that someone inquires as to your well being, simply reply “I’m blessed.” If they question the source of your blessings…well, you’ll know what to tell them!

In the same way faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith: I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. James 2:17-18

See you next Monday!

sam@theseedofhope.com