Conviction

Don't Bother Me

"Don't bother me with souls to save.
I have my own agenda.
There's school to do, sports to play,
Important stuff to attend to.

Don't bother me with that little girl,
The girl playing by the street,
She's much too young to understand
The Savior she could meet.

Don't bother me with my friend at work.
He's got his own religion.
I don't have time to change his mind.
He'll make his own decision.

Don't bother me with distant sounds I hear,
The sounds of people screaming.
Although I wonder who they are.
What are these victims shrieking?

Don't bother me with who they are.
I really don't want the blame.
For it's the little girl and my friend at work
Who from hell scream out my name...
But don't bother me."

(Written by Greg Stier of Dare 2 Share)

We shared that with our middle school Trek group a few weeks ago and have been encouraging our kids to step out and witness to their friends.  Then this past week at life group we were discussing sharing our faith, and I felt truly convicted.  How can I ask these kids, in the stage of their lives where they most want to fit in and not stand out, to go against the crowd and share their faith when I'm not willing to do the same?  Granted, witnessing to a friend in middle school is a lot different than witnessing to a friend at work who has gone through many different religions and done the "pick & choose" plan with all of them to come up with what they "feel" is truth, but regardless, I've still been wimping out.  

Why is it so hard for me to share my faith?  If I truly believe that I have what the world needs and my friends will burn in hell for eternity without Jesus, why do I still not speak up?  Why is it so important to me to blend in, to just go with the crowd, to not make waves?  Jesus never promised me a life of ease and comfort, yet I feel that's how I tend to go through life, just trying to get by as comfortably as possible.  Christians in other countries go to prison and are tortured or killed for sharing their faith, and I'm worried about being uncomfortable?  What's wrong with me?  Jesus said they world will hate us because it hated Him first (Matthew 10:22 & John 15:18).  I'm to expect that!  It shouldn't come as a surprise, yet I think that would be the end of the world, to be rejected and ridiculed for my beliefs.  

I heard at a conference to imagine people at the mall or work or wherever you may be with the words "bound for hell" written across their foreheads.  Now I am not advocating that we begin to walk around with our Bible, waving it in people's faces and telling them they're going to hell without Jesus.  I don't think that's what we're called to do.  But think of all of the people you know in this life.  How many do I interact with on a daily or weekly basis that are "bound for hell"?  How many opportunities to I have to just even bring up the name of Jesus, whether actually sharing the gospel with them or not?  How many times could I take a stand and say, "this is what I believe"?  It doesn't need to be rude or abrasive or prideful, but a simple statement of belief.  

All of this is simply to say, I've been convicted.  I would love to say that I have become a bold and powerful witness for Christ, but that wouldn't be true.  I've decided to do my best to pray for opportunities to speak the name of Jesus and share my faith, and when those opportunities arise, to not wimp out, but actually take them.  More than likely, I will fail more often than not.  But I know that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  I close with these verses.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ might be ashamed.  For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

1 Peter 3:15-17