I was listening to the radio earlier this week and my wife commented that it was fairly depressing as they reported 3-5 unrelated deaths in about 90 seconds. If it bleeds it leads, right? We don’t normally make the news when we have a good day at work, love our spouses, encourage the kids, or help someone in need. If we had a Good Newspaper it would eventually turn into a bunch of self-promotion with everyone trying to one-up each other on how good they are…wait that’s Facebook. You get the idea, people doing the right thing isn’t gossip or newsworthy for the most part. Most people like to point out how bad others are so that they can feel better about themselves. At least I’m not like so and so. It may not always be an overt thing for Christians, but we see and hear it more than we should. What kind of news do I most often share?
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17
I am probably as guilty as anyone who focuses on what is wrong with my day/week/life than on the good things I take for granted. If I am not sick, how seldom do appreciate my health and say, ‘Man, I feel great today!’ When my car runs without any issues, I am not very thankful, but just expect it to work all the time. After I am saved by the blood of Christ, how long does it take for my enthusiasm to wear off and just list it as one more thing that happened in my life? The best thing that ever happened to me, and is available to others, should be the first thing I share with them. That will surely get me the label of ‘Jesus Freak’, but honestly, there are much worse labels to have. The Gospel is good news that often goes unreported. Maybe we are afraid to share more because we are not perfect and won’t always say the right things. Yet the God who forgave so many imperfect people continues to do so, every time they turn back to Him. Isn’t that good news? Isn’t that worth sharing?
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. Mark 5:18-20
How often have you shared your testimony over the past year? Not enough, right? Same here. I was a guest on a local radio show (called Oops! I missed church) this past week and the host started off by asking me about my story. I basically summed up my life and testimony in about 3-4 minutes, which is all it takes to get the job done. I could easily expand on any aspect of my experiences and what I have learned as a Christian and talk for hours on most any part of it, but will let the person I am sharing with dictate where that goes, as the last thing most of us want is to hear stories we don’t really care about. I once had a conversation with a guy I just met while waiting for a library to open, and in those 10 minutes, we had a deeper conversation about faith, God, and our lives than I have had with most people I know or see every day. So, the issue is not about interaction, but more about intent and opportunity. If we just wait for the ‘right’ moment to come along, it will never likely arrive. We need to find and create opportunities when we can by asking tough questions and being willing to share from our hearts about what matters most. Allow God to lead you and bless you in the conversations you have today and each day of your life as you boldly share Good News!
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44
Courage in Christ,
Clark
