Sunday, September 19, 2010

Imperfect, yet Willing

It's been a while since I've posted on my blog. As always, my excuse will be, I'm so busy! I can honestly say I have been, but recently, I have decided that being busy isn't an acceptable excuse. For anything.
Before school started this year, I prayed to God every day that I would not lose my zeal for Him. I was and am still honestly scared about being so caught up in my life that I lose my eternal focus. And speaking from experience, it only goes downhill from there.
Well, something I have found out so far is that anything that you don't want to lose requires commitment. And that takes work, time, and patience. As I was street witnessing this weekend, one of the ladies we talked to said in regards to Christianity, "But that's so hard! It takes so much time." I would have to agree with her. Taking the time to be with God is hard. It does take time. But, in reality, any relationship does. What kind of friend would you be if you never talked with them?
But, that's not what I was going to write about today. Instead, I wanted to talk about being a witness for God.

We've all sung the song "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...". We've all read the verses in Matthew about being the light and the salt of the earth. But how many times have you taken the next step and acted on these statements of Christianity?
How many times have we shut up when we should have spoken up; sat down when we should have stood out?
I know I am a whimp at this every day. This week I've really been focused at witnessing to people; God has given me such an urgency to just tell everyone I can about the greatest thing that's happened to me, the very reason which I am still alive. It bubbles up inside of me, and I have to purposely suppress it sometimes. But that's the problem. I purposely surpress this need to tell everyone about Christ.
This weekend, like I said before, I went street witnessing with a bunch of friends. It was an awesome time, and God had so totally prepared my heart and my witness for the specific people I talked to. I felt like I had been in boot camp all week talking with my coworkers about the exact same things I discussed on the battle field. And at the end of the day, a very good friend of mine gave me a book to read. (It's called One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven- if you haven't read it, please do!)
Well, I dived into that book, and soon discovered it was stuff that I had to study and take notes on- it was all about witnessing to those around you. Well, I decided not to pull an all nighter, and tucked the book and my notes away and decided to continue it the next day while on break at work.
The break room was full of fellow employees, and I quietly took a spot in the far corner to coninue my reading. Soon enough, a dear coworker pulled up a chair and asked what I was reading. And I, to my regret, was too embarrassed to say the name of the book out loud. I instead held up the cover so she could read it. I knew I had just blown that opportunity, and immediately hated that fact; yet when she continued to ask questions, I answered them in round about ways so as to avoid any detection by the others. I am so ashamed at what I did! Here I was, reading a book about empowering us to be witnesses, and here I was too afraid to even tell people what I was reading!
God, please forgive our weaknesses- please let Your strength shine in them! I am praying that God will give me more opportunities with her that I won't blow.

So today, I want to challenge you to stand up for your faith. I want you to do the opposite of what I did- I want you to have the faith to tell those around you about your Saviour. What kind of friend are you if you let them continue on to their damnation?
I challenge you to ask God to give you a sense of urgency in sharing the Gospel; I pray that you will continue to seek to know God and have your heart broken for you. Please, let God use you!
And, if you blow opportunities, God can and will still give you others. Not a half-hour after that break room incident, God provided another conversation between a coworker and I that lasted for at least a half-hour. God is faithful to use us; imperfect, but willing.
Let the promise of God become your prayer today: "My strength is made perfect in your weakness."

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corithians 12:9-10
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16
That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:15-16

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