My most understanding wife has now memorized nearly one hundred verses of the Word of God, along with the Book and chapter they are located in, a feat I cannot comprehend. She holds no high position in a think tank for a major university, she is not the head of a large corporation, she is just a simple woman who loves the Lord and has decided to hide His Word in her heart. She is honoring the Lord by doing so, for she has become in a sense a walking Bible, and she, as we all are, are the only Bible most people will ever read. It is a blessing to me to watch her each evening read from the Word for us, but greater still is when she closes His Holy Book, and from memory finishes the study for that evening, many times with tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
I am a challenged man, I have been taught to hate evil, to hate apathy, to find little pleasure on this earth, I am disgusted by individuals who call Jesus Lord but do not serve Him in anyway, and I find great sorrow in my heart for their expected end. Many find me contentious and overly adamant in my faith in Christ, so be it, I have been blessed in my latter days with the ability to contemplate the eternal, my path to honor God is not one that many would accept I dare say, and I am not worthy to walk it.
Far too many Christians have absolutely no idea what the gifts are that they have been given, and just as many are aware of them, but will not allow themselves to be challenged by them. The truth my friends will set you free (John 8:32) unless you share that truth, my lovely wife’s commitment to her memory verses is beyond admirable, yet they will serve little purpose if they are not shared, the contemplative man He is turning me into will be of no value to the kingdom of God if these thoughts are not either spoken or written down for all who will but listen. The gifts we are given are rarely if ever for our own benefit, a servant does not seek his own, but the glory of the One who has sent him. (John 13:16)
Fear in every possible form is the reason why so many are fearful to act upon these gifts, these tools we are blessed with by our Lord, and virtually every time it is the fear of what others will think of us. Look upon this as no new thing, Adam and Eve knew shame, but did they sew together fig leaves to attempt to hide the shame of being naked because of embarrassment towards each other, or from God. We can say we are strong in Christ, we can say we are confident in His promises, that He is faithful and true, but are you that person in front of everyone you meet, does your resolve fade in times of witnessing, or are you willing to stand naked and unashamed as it were, in front of all for the name of Jesus.
We have fallen so far in this generation that there are actually those who believe that witnessing to the lost is reserved only for the very few, that it is a gift that is bestowed only upon those with a special calling. Far too many are ashamed to call Him Lord outside of the church doors or certain preferred company, they fear the reproaches of man more than Almighty God who has given the commandment to all His children to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Matt. 28:19) They seek the praise of men above the things of God, (John 12:43) and they do not even realize that by doing so they are dishonoring the Him. Once this trait is recognized in ourselves, we no longer have an excuse before Christ, good intentions will not only not receive any rewards in heaven, but bring to question the salvation of a man. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 10:32)
Our Lord does not need you to stand up for Him, He regards no man, (Romans 2:11) He needs you to stand up for Him for your sake, for those who will not are not His children. Demonstrating your faith in front of others, whether it be by works or words, is not one of the gifts of God, it is the rightful duty of all that call Him Lord, those who will not do so are not just unprofitable, they are more than likely not even saved, their faith is based on emotions, and even this smallest of commandments they will not fulfill. There are people who are going to stand before Him who cast out demons in His name, that prophesied in His name that are not going to enter in the kingdom of heaven, what makes anyone believe that they will be welcomed who never once confessed Him as Lord before man, who showed up to church every weekend but never once brought a lost sinner to the cross.
Those who profess and fail are seen as more valuable that those who never attempted. An ambassador is sent for a specific purpose, he is not to be lax in his obligations, if he tries and those he has been sent to refuse to hear and obey, he still has fulfilled his duties, their failure to respond is not upon him, but woe to the servant who is sent to perform a task and refuses to do so, they will be cast out as an unprofitable branch, (Matt. 25:30) woe to those who profess Him only with their lips, (Matt. 15:8) and greater yet the woe upon those who have been deceiving themselves, never proclaiming to any of the One they claim to serve.
No man has ever been blessed with the gift of telling others about the Lord Jesus Christ, that is our obligation, it is our responsibility, it is the work that we are commanded to do. (Matt. 28:20) You do not have to have any confidence whatsoever to perform this task, you need only faith.
