Excuses!
Bible Reading: Matthew 5:13-16
Let your good deeds shine out for all to see. Matthew 5:16
Whoa—tell people about Jesus? you might think. Don’t I have to be a pastor or missionary to be able to talk about Christ? I mean, I need to know more about the Bible. And besides, I’d have to be way more mature. Nobody listens to kids my size. And here’s the biggest problem: I do all sorts of stuff wrong. I have to get my act together before I can talk about Christ. Why, just yesterday my brother spouted off and I popped him in the nose.
The I’m-not-good-enough fear might not be the only misguided attitude that could keep you from speaking up about Jesus. Some people have the I’m-going-to-get-blasted fear. They expect ugly reactions if they tell others about Christ, so they clam up. Others have the I-can’t-do-this-no-way-no-how fear. They expect their tongues to knot up if they mention Jesus, so they zip their lips.
You know that your self-esteem is crucial to how you relate to God. But knowing that you’re lovable, valuable, and capable also has everything to do with being confident you can be part of God’s exciting work in your world.
If you think you aren’t “good enough” to witness for Christ, get a grip on God’s love for you. The more you see yourself as God does—accepted, forgiven, created in his image—the less you will let your blemishes be a barrier to sharing what you know about Jesus. If God had to wait for you to totally mature before he sent you out to share the gospel, he’d have to wait until you get to heaven!
If you fear the negative reactions you might face as you witness, get hold of your worth to God. Worrying too much what others think about you can mean you have a low view of your true worth to God. What are you afraid of? Even if everyone refuses to listen to you, you are still valued by the King of the universe!
If you worry about saying the wrong thing when you witness, trust that God will make you capable. If you fear stumbling over your words, you’re saying to God, “You sure botched things up when you created me, because I’m not any good at this. And in my case practice won’t make perfect.”
Witnessing doesn’t begin with what you say or how well you say it. It starts with knowing who you are in Christ. You are God’s beloved child—unique and useful to him just the way you are.
TALK: Do any of those fears keep you from speaking up about Christ? Is there anything about the way you see yourself that you need to let God fix?
PRAY: God, we want to share our faith the best we know how—and we’ll leave the results to you.
ACT: If you’ve always been scared to share your faith, talk with a mature Christian about how you can overcome your fears.