January 9, 2023
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
-Hebrews 11:1
How many of us were gifted riders, with zero fear, the first time we ever got in the saddle on a motorcycle? Maybe it’s just me, but I know that I was filled with a healthy dose of fear and respect before I put the motorcycle in motion. Not to mention that I could faintly hear, both my mom and my wife, somewhere in my head, telling me that I was an idiot. This didn’t change for quite a while either. I was what some might call overly cautious. However, over time I become more comfortable and more at ease with riding. Pretty soon I was no longer going through curves at a snail's pace, riding straight up. I also stopped hearing those voices in my head! My wife actually enjoys riding with me now, and my mom, at least, tolerates that I ride. Do you know what else changed for me? My love for riding. I found enjoyment and excitement in something that, at one time, scared me enough that I could have quit at any moment without giving it a second thought.
We all have these moments in our lives, and in some cases the fear wins and we are held back from trying something new. I’m even willing to bet that there is someone listening to this, right now, who has been skydiving and, inexplicably, enjoyed the experience! By nature, I’m not much of a risk taker and I just can’t justify jumping out of a perfectly designed aircraft. This is part of my upbringing, to be honest. It was almost ingrained in me to fear taking risks and doing things that were considered outside the norm, which may explain why I hid my passion for motorcycles from my parents for as long as I could!
The point is, sometimes those risks are worth taking. Perhaps they are calculated risks, or maybe they are risks that we take upon nothing more than faith. If, and when, we are presented with an opportunity of stepping outside of our comfort zone, we often find that these experiences are far more successful and enjoyable for us when we approach them with confidence which is completely different from cocky arrogance. Think about a time you did something, unsuccessfully and successfully, in your life. Do you see how a lack of confidence may have impeded one while a dose of confidence led to the success of the other?
Sometimes, a lack of confidence prevents us from sharing the Gospel with others. The problem here is that this lack of confidence is one that we place upon ourselves, because we may temporarily forget our confidence in Christ. Our human nature takes over and we think we can do things ourselves without His help. When we place our confidence in Him, we can do more than we ever dreamed. This is perfectly illustrated in verse 8 of the 118th Psalm:
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”
-Psalm 118:8
We also find an excellent example of inexperience meeting Christ-centered confidence in Acts chapter 4.
In the previous chapter, Peter and John were entering the temple and they had healed a beggar at Solomon’s portico. People gathered around them and were amazed at, not only the previous miracle, but all they had to say about the resurrected Christ. However, the chief priests of the temple were concerned by what Peter and John were doing. The priests had Peter and John arrested and detained them overnight. The next day, Peter and John were brought before the council and they were questioned about their words and their actions. It was asked of them by whose authority do they abide.
“And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’”
-Acts 4:7
This is followed by a Holy Spirit directed monologue from Peter, speaking of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. He concluded his statement with these words:
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
-Acts 4:12
The very next verse is where all of our discussion about inexperience comes in. Peter had just astounded the entire council with his faith and his passion, despite being an uneducated and common man. Yet there he stood, before these religious scholars and leaders, boldly proclaiming Christ for all to hear. The council realized, given the miracle performed on the previous day, coupled with Peter’s words, that there was no way they could oppose them and could no longer detain them. The crowds around them were praising God and the priests were powerless to do anything to Peter and John, all because of their faithful and bold proclamation of Jesus Christ.
It is never too soon to start sharing the gospel with others, but also being humble enough to know that there is still plenty for you, yourself, to learn from others. Think about it like this. Perhaps you only know, believe, and obey five verses of scripture. You have something to teach someone who may only know two or three verses of scripture, but you can also have room to learn and grow in your faith. It is not a matter of thinking you are not adequately prepared to share Christ with others, it is simply a matter of trusting in God and stepping out in faith. Peter did not hesitate to share Christ with the priests who were so deeply rooted in the law, and he was far less educated and held a much lower station in society than they did, but that did not stop him from being bold and demonstrating an unwavering faith in Christ. Let your faith make you bold, share Christ with someone and they, like the crowds hearing Peter, may very well end up praising God. We all have varied roles in expanding God’s kingdom, but the one role that we ALL share is sharing the Gospel, it is not a role reserved for just church leaders, it is a privilege and a joy afforded to every believer.
