One of the primary areas in my life that has been lacking over the past several years is my witnessing attempts. You see, as a minister's wife, it's really easy to get "comfortable". It's really easy to look around and say, "Well, I'm really involved in the church. My husband is crazy-busy. I need to support him. That's my ministry." And while yes, that's true, I've recently been convicted that that's not enough. In all honesty, I think I was really using that as an excuse.
When it comes to witnessing, I've typically taken the "lifestyle evangelism" road. You know, the line we all pull out when we don't want to have any confrontations. Don't get me wrong. I believe that our first line of evangelism HAS to be lifestyle evangelism. We have to be living what we're saying. We have to be above reproach so that world doesn't sneer in our faces. But it can't stop there. We have to TALK. And we have to share. And we have to open ourselves up to the idea that someone might laugh at us. Someone might get mad. And someone might even get saved. Someone might hear words that they have been longing to hear for 57 years: Someone loves them. Someone cares for them. Someone wants to have a relationship with them.
So, back to the Bible story. It's in Exodus, and God is basically commissioning Moses to go rescue His people from the land of Egypt. God tells Moses what he is supposed to say and do. But Moses was stuck. He couldn't figure out why God wanted to use him. He wasn't an eloquent speaker. In his own words, he was "slow of speech and slow of tongue." But the problem was, he wasn't just being humble. He was actually questioning the words of the Lord. God called him, and Moses said, "Who, me?"
How many times do we do that? God puts someone in our path, and we feel a gentle nudging. "Talk to her, Amy. Ask her if she knows Me. Ask her if there's anything you can pray about for her." And we say, "No." We say, "I don't know what to say. What if I mess up? What if they get mad? What if they make fun of me?" And so we let the moment pass. But the problem is, it's more than just letting the moment pass. We've actually been disobedient. I shudder to think of how many times I have been disobedient.
Here is the cool thing, though. Moses said, "Who, me?" And God said, "Yes, YOU!" God didn't put up with his excuses, or his silly thoughts that he couldn't do what God asked him to do. Instead, He told him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who has made him mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then, go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to say." (Exodus 4:11-12) And the other night, when I read that, God slapped me upside the head, and said, "Silly woman. If I call you to do something, I will equip you, and I will be with you!" Now, isn't that just the berries?!? Isn't that amazing? God calls us to be His witnesses. He calls us to share HIM with the world. And all of the worries, and anxieties, and excuses that we can come up with don't stand. They're irrevelant, because the very God who made our mouths goes with us.
I don't have to feel like I'm the most eloquent speaker in the world. I don't have to have all of my words in just the right place. God called me to be His witness when He saved me. And when He saved you, He called you to be His witness. We just need to trust in the One who calls us. And know that He, even He, will be with our mouths and will teach us what we are to say. And that's stinkin' awesome.
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Thank you, Amy, for this great reminder that the God who calls us to be His witnesses will also enable us with His power. Philippians 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
ReplyDelete