2 Timothy 1:6-8
...I want to remind you to stir
into flame the strength and boldness that is in you, that entered into
you when I laid my hands upon your head and blessed you. For the Holy
Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be
wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them.
If
you will stir up this inner power, you will never be afraid to tell
others about our Lord or to let them know that I am your friend even
though I am here in jail for Christ’s sake. You will be ready to suffer
with me for the Lord, for he will give you strength in suffering.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
In October 2014, I
shared some of my Mam-ma Polly’s prized “Kentucky Wonder” bean seeds
with friends who were visiting from Pennsylvania. These friends are
gardening enthusiasts extraordinaire! They planted the seeds last
summer and harvested a bumper crop of beans. And a couple of days ago, a
squishy padded envelope arrived in our mailbox – dried beans that our
friends returned to us with best wishes for a good crop of our own next
year. I shared this story with my mother, and we agreed that my Mam-ma
Polly would be tickled pink by this. To her, “Kentucky Wonder” beans
were like gold!
This got me thinking about my Mam-ma Polly.
She’s been on my mind a lot lately. My grandmother was not afraid to
speak her mind – about anything! As I noted at her funeral, she was a
mess – but she was our mess! For all of the 56 years that I knew
her, my Mam-ma Polly was never shy about sharing Jesus with others.
She did this in direct ways…and in subtle gestures. Her table always
had room for one more. When she met a new neighbor, her first question
was always, “Where do you go to church?” She cared for the sick, shared
with the needy, and prayed without ceasing. She was an extraordinary
role model for love of others and Christian discipleship…and I am
blessed by her legacy.
In this letter from the Apostle Paul, we
see him encourage Timothy to be bold and courageous…to call on the
strength and inner power of God’s Holy Spirit as he represented the love
and mercy of Jesus Christ to others. And this is what we are called to
do. This is a season of generosity…of sharing love and giving to
others. We seem to find it easier to do this in December as we “get in
the Christmas mood.” But we need to expand our boldness and
discipleship to the other eleven months as well.
It’s easier to
share Jesus in these holiday weeks. We smile more…we say “Merry
Christmas” and display signage on everything from ornaments to
sweatshirts that says, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” We give to
charities, bake goodies for friends and acquaintances, and carefully
select gifts for everyone from family members to co-workers and needy
children. We attend programs that proclaim the “Joy to the World” of
Jesus’ coming. We generally demonstrate in ways great and small how
much we love Jesus - and how glad we are to celebrate His birth.
My
challenge for all of us is to take a page from my Mam-ma Polly’s book
and extend this spirit to encompass the entire year. Let’s be more bold
and courageous in our demonstrations of Christian faith and love.
Let’s do whatever it takes to become more comfortable sharing our story
and telling others what Jesus has done in our lives. This may require
some practice…but I can tell you, repetition does make it easier! Let’s
get in the pattern of smiling more and representing the joy that comes
from the peace of our salvation and faith in Jesus.
Even
something as simple as the exchange of some pole bean seed can be an act
of Christian love and discipleship. I shared one of my grandmother’s
most prized possessions with friends…and they reciprocated. This opened
the door for dialog and the exchange of love and friendship halfway
across the country…and that’s sometimes all it takes to allow others to
see Jesus in us…and to spur a deeper discussion of Christian faith.
So
get started…just jump in with both feet and do it! Reach out to
someone with a smile and a kind word or gesture, and see where God takes
you. Love people and genuinely enjoy being with them…and discover
where and how God will stir the flame of boldness to further His
Kingdom.
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label fear of saying the wrong thing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fear of saying the wrong thing. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for November 29, 2015
1 Peter 3:15
Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life.
Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend and I were talking about a situation that is dear to both of us, and she said, “I guess I need to practice my response to people about this, because I don’t have as good of an answer handy as you seem to have. I need to be able to talk to people about this with more confidence.” Let’s be honest, if we are speaking to someone about an issue, and we stumble over our words and don’t seem to have a full grasp of things, we probably won’t be very convincing!
This passage reminds us that it’s not enough to “walk the walk, and talk the talk.” We have to demonstrate our faith by our actions…but we also have to have answers that make sense. Does this mean that all Christians must be Bible scholars and know scriptures by heart that can be recited at a moment’s notice? Absolutely not! But you have to be able to tell people WHY you are so sure that God is in control. We must be ready to explain how God has answered prayers in our own lives. We need to be confident in our justifications of our hope in Jesus.
There is nothing wrong with suggesting that you look up scripture passages together…or in saying, “I don’t know…but I’ll find out!” But ask yourself this…wouldn’t you “do your homework” before trying to explain things to someone else...everything from how to prepare a certain recipe to how to repair something to what “home remedies” work best for you? This is no different. We Christians are called to “get our ducks in a row” and speak confidently from the heart about our hope and faith in Jesus. We don’t need to second guess ourselves or fear that we will say the wrong thing – we need to be so “practiced” that we’re sure our words make sense.
The best way to accomplish this is to actually practice…to find opportunities to share with others what Jesus is doing in your life. If you are not comfortable yet having these conversations with others, write down your thoughts and study them. Have an idea in your head of what you would say to someone if he/she asked you about your faith. Know how you would respond when given an opportunity to share what Jesus has done for you. Then take advantages of chances to share your hope with others. The more you do this, the easier it will become.
There is nothing wrong with spontaneous, heart-felt witness...and when you ask God to give you the right words, He will surely do so. But it doesn’t hurt to practice a few responses, so that you feel more confident when you do speak on Jesus’ behalf. Spend some time in prayerful preparation…and get so comfortable with expressing your hope and faith that it becomes second nature. You will honor God…and you will represent Him well. And isn’t that what being a Christian disciple is all about?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life.
Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend and I were talking about a situation that is dear to both of us, and she said, “I guess I need to practice my response to people about this, because I don’t have as good of an answer handy as you seem to have. I need to be able to talk to people about this with more confidence.” Let’s be honest, if we are speaking to someone about an issue, and we stumble over our words and don’t seem to have a full grasp of things, we probably won’t be very convincing!
This passage reminds us that it’s not enough to “walk the walk, and talk the talk.” We have to demonstrate our faith by our actions…but we also have to have answers that make sense. Does this mean that all Christians must be Bible scholars and know scriptures by heart that can be recited at a moment’s notice? Absolutely not! But you have to be able to tell people WHY you are so sure that God is in control. We must be ready to explain how God has answered prayers in our own lives. We need to be confident in our justifications of our hope in Jesus.
There is nothing wrong with suggesting that you look up scripture passages together…or in saying, “I don’t know…but I’ll find out!” But ask yourself this…wouldn’t you “do your homework” before trying to explain things to someone else...everything from how to prepare a certain recipe to how to repair something to what “home remedies” work best for you? This is no different. We Christians are called to “get our ducks in a row” and speak confidently from the heart about our hope and faith in Jesus. We don’t need to second guess ourselves or fear that we will say the wrong thing – we need to be so “practiced” that we’re sure our words make sense.
The best way to accomplish this is to actually practice…to find opportunities to share with others what Jesus is doing in your life. If you are not comfortable yet having these conversations with others, write down your thoughts and study them. Have an idea in your head of what you would say to someone if he/she asked you about your faith. Know how you would respond when given an opportunity to share what Jesus has done for you. Then take advantages of chances to share your hope with others. The more you do this, the easier it will become.
There is nothing wrong with spontaneous, heart-felt witness...and when you ask God to give you the right words, He will surely do so. But it doesn’t hurt to practice a few responses, so that you feel more confident when you do speak on Jesus’ behalf. Spend some time in prayerful preparation…and get so comfortable with expressing your hope and faith that it becomes second nature. You will honor God…and you will represent Him well. And isn’t that what being a Christian disciple is all about?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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