| Ashamed of the Gospel |
|
| |
1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 ASV Sometimes when I'm on the train on my way to work, I'll be reading the Bible or listening to an especially moving song on my ipod and I'll want to jump up and tell people how great God is. Sometimes I'll just want to tell people how god changed my life and I'll want them to know Him. But I never do anything or say anything. I don't want people to make fun of me or call me a Bible thumper. And truth be told, sometimes when I hear those fire and brimstone people on the train I get annoyed and I think about my friend who always says to those people, "This car is reserved for quiet contemplation." And other times I hear people just praising God or exhorting us to praise God and I just want to say, "Hallelujah"
Sometimes when I'm at work I listen to my students talking about going to church or talking about something they learned in Sunday school and I feel a brief sadness about not being able to express my own feelings about Jesus. But I know that would be inappropriate to do at school.
Then there are the times I'll be with friends who have been so hurt and mistreated in the name of religion that they think I'm 100 different kinds of foolish for having any kind of faith in God at all.
So, I come home at the end of the day and I wonder, Where was God today? Did anyone see Him with me?
I don't want to be ashamed of the gospel. I want to rejoice because God is so good. I want to tell people how I feel without worrying if they'll think I'm crazy or stupid. I don't want to be like I was in the past--wanting so badly to be accepted and loved by other people that I never even talked about God for fear of being rejected.
What I believe is an essential part of who I am. Lord help me to be creative enough, courageous enough, to let people know that I love you and to show how You have changed my life. |
|
Follow this blog
