I Personally Know And Believe In Jesus Christ.

I recently read a Facebook post forwarded from a friend challenging all people to publically proclaim belief in the lordship of Jesus Christ. My first reaction was, “Why is this even out there?” Then I realized that this is not a simple task for most professed Christians. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands us to make disciples of all people by teaching them everything He taught us. Yet, you will find very few professed Christians who obey this command. They use many excuses to avoid compliance, but the truth is nearly always fear; the kind of fear that results from worldly pressure.

For years, I lived in fear of being asked the reason for my optimism. I was sure that if I wasn’t threatened by the questioner, I would, at the very least, be completely humiliated by the experience. As I grew in my walk with Jesus, I came to learn from His gentle teaching that my fear was rooted in the fact that I was putting myself first, ahead of Him. Of course I felt guilty when I clearly saw this, but He assured me He still loved me and wanted to walk with me for all eternity. He also assured me that it was normal to have this fear.

You see, we all fear rejection, whether we like to admit it or not. That fear is in our basic human nature. Our human nature is opposed to sharing the “Good News” with others because doing so may cause others to dislike us, or even want to harm us. So, to avoid emotional discomfort or physical harm, we refuse to obey. This doesn’t mean we should be ourselves up about it, it just means we need to see it for what it is, disobedience. When we see this, we merely need to ask God’s forgiveness, knowing it is given the moment we ask if we truly repent, then obey Him the next time an opportunity to share the Gospel arises, and it will.

God has called every one of us to share the “Good News” with everyone we know and meet. However, He did not call us to do so alone. He also promised that He will always be with us; He will never leave us. It is our responsibility to make sure we know and understand the Gospel, for our own benefit and to be ready to answer the questions of others. But He does not expect us to win souls without help. He will always be there to give us the right words to fit every situation and to give us the courage to speak, if we will simply ask Him. And, as an added benefit, whenever we share the hope of salvation with others, God will bless us with a most wonderful joy that words can’t adequately express.