17 April 2012

The Fear of Stepping Out

On Sunday in church, a man called Jeremy stood up to tell us about two occasions when he had stepped out in faith and spoken to people. He told us of how when he had been obedient to God and talked to people or prayed with them God had moved in a big way. The statement that he said that really stuck with me was this:
"When we pray for people we give God the opportunity to move."

I think too often we act as if praying for people and talking to people is about us. At least, this has definitely been the case for myself. So many times I've thought, 'but what if they laugh?' or 'but what if nothing happens right now and it's really embarrassing?'

Stepping out in faith is not about any of us. Honestly, whether or not we are embarrassed is irrelevant. We need to stop being afraid of talking to others about Jesus, and start being happy to do so. Look for opportunities. Share with everyone as you feel prompted. The good news of Jesus was not given to us to be hidden in small boxes, and glimpsed every now and then. It was given to be shared.

At the end of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul asks them to pray for him that he might '...open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel' [Ephesians 6.19]. That is my prayer for each and every one of us, that we will not shy away from sharing the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection with others, but we will rush to do so, willing to share with others the blessings we have received.

God bless

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