Avoiding the Issue

“I firmly believe that witnessing is a learned talent. God burdens our hearts to reach the lost, but we must get out there and start practicing those conversations. The funny thing is, though, the more you practice, the easier it becomes.” – Mark Cahill

Let me start all this by drawing special attention to the word "easier" in the above quote. Not easy... easier. I won't be the first person to openly admit I continue to struggle with sharing my faith. Old fears still make there way to the surface almost every time. There are times I wish I was a fresh new believer, understanding the amazing grace of God for the first time, rather than letting the power of the gospel settle to the bottom of my soul as the years progress. I constantly need a shake up... needing something to break away that solidified sediment and once again re-saturate myself with the reality of the world around me. And, at least I say this to make myself feel better, I don't think I'm the only one...

I think a good portion of the church today operates under the assumption that if your not gifted at something, it sort of acts as an exempt card. I'm not trying to point fingers, as I often used that one myself. However, the flaw in this logic is fairly evident... if I don't have the gift of mercy, do I get freedom then to never show mercy? Or if I don't have the gift of giving, is it therefore okay if I never give? Of course not. Simply using the argument that if you're not gifted doesn't exclude you from what is clearly laid out in Scripture as a command. It becomes, in reality, a simple matter of obedience or disobedience.

Let's be honest. If we all truly gave ourselves a soul-check, we'd find the answer fairly easy that our fears of man are simply trumping our desire to be used by God, which is a saddening reality.

The life of a Christ-follower is proactive, not reactive. God blesses us as we pursue increasing our "capacity" to be used by Him. We often live a life saying, "God, do this and I'll trust you," while God says, "Trust me and I'll do this."

Maybe now would even be a good time to give yourself an honest heart-check...
Who am I sharing Christ with?
What does it look like? Typically, people who continue to live by fear make the excuse, "I'll share Christ by loving them." Actions and words are never separated... always linked.
Am I taking steps to share with people both by actions and words?


You're never more scared to share your faith than five minutes before, and never more excited to share your faith than five minutes after.