Shocking title I know. That is kind of the point. The shock value of that statement made by someone who claims to love Jesus with all their heart is high. It was hard to even type it. But as I read my Bible in the comfort of my home this morning, as I pour over my music that I will bring as an offering to the God I love so desperately this coming Sunday, this is the question that came to my mind.
Is Jesus really all that great? Because most of the time, we sure don't act like it.
I was at a conference last week and heard the story of a woman (Christine Caine) who has been called to start a ministry to rescue other women from the sex trade. (more about A21 here) She told the horrific story of a girl who had been held captive and taken to another country for the purpose of working in a red light district. This girl was one of the few who even survived the journey. She was eventually rescued from the sex trade and brought to a safe house where she encountered Christine who told her about Jesus.
Wonderful you might say! Well, yes it is wonderful. But the girls response? "If your Jesus is so great, why did it take you so long to get here?"
I heard another story from someone just getting back from a mission trip to the jungles of Africa (literally.) They went to tell people who had probably never of heard of Him, about Jesus. When speaking to one woman about Christ and His plan of salvation, they ask her if she would like to accept Him into her life and her Lord and Savior. Her response? "Yes! I have just been waiting for someone to come and tell me how."
For me, both of those stories bring deep sorrow and conviction because more often than not, I am the one who is taking to long or waiting to tell someone about my Jesus that they so desperately need.
It seems such an obvious thing - share the one who saved your life with anyone around you who will listen. And yet we keep silent out of fear or embarrassment, or a host of other reason we have on a long list of bad ones.
I don't know about you, but I am always eager to hear a great story. We are transfixed by the story on the news of the man who risked his life for a total stranger by pulling them out of a burning house. We stop what we are doing to listen to the story of the hero who foiled the armed robbery with a selfless act of bravery. If you were the one in those stories who was rescued - you would be more than willing to sing the praises of your hero to anyone who would listen out of gratitude. Right?
I had the privilege of being a part of the filming of of some awesome stories last week. Stories that made me laugh and made me cry (always the sign of a good story - right?) Stories of people whose lives have been saved. Stories of people who had no hope and now do. I am so very grateful that they decided to share their stories with me.
Each of us has a story. I look at my story compared to some and tend to minimize the value of it because in my eyes, it is not as dramatic as some. I am coming to find that thinking that thought is toxic to me and those that God has put in my life. Just because I was not rescued from the sex trade or some other tragic situation does not minimize my story of redemption. I am a sinner, saved from a future that I surely deserved, given the gift eternal life with my Jesus forever.
I say that I believe that Jesus is "all that great" but when I hide his redemptive work in my life by not telling my story, I have to ask myself if I really believe that.
Someone needs to hear my story because it will speak to them and maybe, just maybe show them that what they need in their life is Jesus. So I will speak my story boldly and ask God to use it for His glory.
What is your story? It is the most important story that someone will hear for the one who needs YOU to tell it to them.
Tell your story to someone today, they might have been waiting for you!
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3 comments:
This is easier said than done, but the long list of Why Nots doesn't compare to the eternal value assigned to Why.
I wish I did it more. It bothers me that I don't, and I rely on this expectation that you should see the gospel in me somehow. The problem with that is, I don't look like what I've been through, and you could never tell because Jesus is just that awesome - I dont wear the scars of what I've been through because my healing has been complete.
Sharing the gospel should be like breathing, just as prayer should be like breathing to us. We all need to take lessons from the people across the globe who could die for just saying the word Jesus. We are too comfortable here in America. A shaking is what we need to wake up to reality. A reality that the teller at the bank, the starbucks cashier, the Wendys girl or guy, the teacher at school, the whoever who comes in your pathway every day needs Jesus. Open our mouths Jesus, make us bold. Who cares if they get mad. Oh well, I brush myself off and move on to the next body that will listen. Lord help me be bold every day. My kids often hear me say, do not worry, go ahead and tell them about Jesus, they may never see us again. Thanks for sharing Jan. In my case I am now asking God to give me a divine appointment when I know I am going out into the market place.We do not have to go far, a mission field is right in your back yard literally at the Starbucks coffee shop. Many of the campus ministry kids at our church got bold last semester and took friends to the coffee shop to witness to them about Jesus. Like I said the coffee shops are a mission field in itself.
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