Simple Confidence
Leviticus 13:1-59
Mark 6:1-29
Psalm 39:1-13
Proverbs 10:10
Reading about the mission Jesus gave the disciples in Mark reminded me a lot about what I've already been thinking about lately.
Today I thought a lot about Billy Graham who passed away yesterday in his old age. I had never listened to his sermons before or anything, I just knew he was a very famous evangelist. But I did watch some videos of him today and I observed his confidence in the truth of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Scriptures. Even in an interview with Woody Allen trying to stump him with hard questions Billy Graham didn't beat around the bush, he told the truth.
I've been thinking about that confidence lately and how much I want it. I tend to overthink things. When it comes to evangelism I think I always thought you either have the gift or you don't...and while I think it's very true that some people have the gift, like Billy Graham certainly did, I don't think it's true that some people don't have the gift.
I think if you know the truth of Jesus Christ and you know someone who needs to hear it the very essence of that combination means you have the gift of evangelism.
Follow the Spirit's leading, yes, but don't wait for the stars to align. Don't wait for the truth of Jesus Christ to be brought up for you: that's your job.
Be kind, love your neighbor, be patient, faithful in prayer, listen to the Word of God and with the confidence in the actual truth of Jesus Christ and the actual truth of eternal life: speak up! Who can be against you? What do you have to fear?
It seems so obvious now that I'm experiencing it, but I had no idea before I started this project how compelled I would feel daily to share the gospel. I had no idea how much I needed to be reminded of the gospel. I have no idea how much reading the Bible was going to make the gospel more and more front and center in my life. It sounds so silly...because of course feeling compelled to share the gospel is the result, of course I need the gospel and of course those around me need the gospel! Of course, of course, of course.
My desires, my focus, my daily goals, the way I see myself, the way I see my routine, my whole life is changing in the most predictable way but yet I couldn't have expected this. I didn't know I had this drive in me...I didn't know how much I could start to believe that God could use me. I didn't know how much I would want to be reminded of the simple gospel every day.
It's all so predictable but yet I feel like I'm struggling to find words to describe it because you just have to live it. No one would have been able to explain this to me in a sufficient way when I started this project...I just had to do it. And now I'm going to live the rest of my life differently, I won't be able to help it.
Tomorrow:
Leviticus 14:1-57
Mark 6:30-56
Psalm 40:1-10
Proverbs 10:11-12