Skillet has a song called "Best Kept Secret" on their album Invincible. The lyrics include lines such as "And I can't pretend I don't know, and I can't leave it alone," and "And I can't live for myself; I can't keep this all to myself." And the chorus reveals exactly what Christianity is: the best-kept secret of all time.
This should not be. Jesus called us, as His followers, to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). And as I said last time, we are given the promise that God will bless us if we "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). Why, then, do we so often fail to share the best news the world has ever known and will ever know?
For most of us, our stumbling block is the desire for immediate gratification. We would rather not give up our reputations or our friends for the sake of sharing the Gospel. We decide we'd rather live life our way and leave discipleship for the years immediately preceding death. After all, the reward for serving God doesn't come until we reach heaven, right?
Wrong. Look at King David, one of the most well-known people in the Bible. David was "a man after God's own heart." He was the youngest of eight brothers, a shepherd among warriors, the weakest and least valuable in the time of Israel's dispute with the Philistines. But because David served the Lord with all his heart, God sent His prophet Samuel to anoint the young boy to become king. It was not long after that the scrawny teen took down the Philistine giant, Goliath, with a sling and a single stone. David eventually took his place on the throne of Israel, and he prospered under God's hand. He became one of the wealthiest and most powerful men on the planet, all because he submitted himself to God's will. This psalmist-turned-conqueror is the ultimate example of the rewards we may possibly receive in this life by serving God; however, these rewards are not guaranteed. But one that is guaranteed is the promise that we will get to spend eternity in Heaven with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and escape the torture of hell.
Let's look at James 1:25 again. "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does." We see that even here God reveals the opportunity for reward in this life. When we want what the Father wants, why wouldn't He want to help us carry out His plans?
But still we make excuses in order to avoid spreading the Good News. We're worried about the impression we'll make. We don't want to be judged. But we know that those things shouldn't matter. But we refuse to witness anyway.
There are two particular stories, or parables, that I like that illustrate this situation well. Picture one of your non-believing friends in the middle of a street. Now imagine a semi-truck is barreling down a hill toward him or her and closing in fast. You have the chance to save him/her. But when you refuse to witness to that person, you leave him or her at the mercy of the truck driver. Or imagine that your friend is drowning in the ocean while you're sitting comfortably on the beach. You have a choice to make: a) relax and let him/her take care of him/herself, b) or go save the poor guy/girl. When we witness to non-believers, we are throwing them a life raft. The decision now lies with them to either grab the raft or ignore it and drown. It's your choice. But it's your friend's life you're betting. As James says in chapter 4, verse 17, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." Don't let the "good he ought to do" be just that; make it the "good he has done."
We live in a drowning world. Jesus came to us to keep us afloat. Now it's up to us to be the lifeguards of humankind.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16
This gift is for all. Share it freely.
Until next time, God bless!
Michael
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"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
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