Every reason to be bold
I was sitting in my house recently with a telephone call on my mind. What was weighing on me was not a conversation that had already taken place but a conversation that needed to take place. I had a number and a name and a general idea that the person at the other end of the line had some interest in Christianity. I sat looking and thinking about the call, about the person, and felt nervous.
I’ll gladly grant that my nerves were illogical, not even in the left field of reason. What outcome, after all, could be so potentially bad? Nerves, however, do not obey the rules of logic. They are very often irrational, and I believe them to be one of our enemy’s favorite playgrounds. What surprised me the most was the thought at the bottom of my nerves–it was shame. Now I did not notice more less admitted it at the time; but there it was, shame surfacing itself as timidity.
What finally tipped me off to the root of my emotion was the truth God used to overcome it. In the middle of my turbulent mind came a single, nerve shattering truth. It was like a thousand watt light was suddenly turned on in the darkest room. God silently whispered in my soul; “Jonathan, you have in your heart–and soon to be in your mouth–the very words of life, the gospel. Do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed to offer salvation to a dying person, realize what you are about to do and do it with gladness.” I wish all of my life was dominated by that truth. Suddenly nervousness became the most irrelevant thing in the world. It vanished like morning fog in the sun.
Christians have every reason to be bold. Even when we suffer, which I suppose to be the thought that eventually leads to most if not all nervousness, we have cause to rejoice. If I suffer for Christ’s sake God tells me that I am blessed, that I glorify him in that moment, and so I should never feel ashamed. My prayer for my own life and the life of Christ’s church is that we would realize exactly what we are doing, freely offering God’s lifesaving grace, and never be ashamed, nervous, or timid.
