I had just slipped my foot into my right shoe when my oldest daughter came around the corner and asked to sit on my lap for a minute. I began to brush her hair and make sideways piggy tails per her request. We talked for a minute and I explained to her that I would be home late since I was going to speak at a church.
“Mommy is going to tell others about Jesus. Isn’t that cool?” I said as I pinned her favorite bow in her hair.
“Yeah it is.” She said.
But then she paused for a moment as if she had something else on her mind.
“Mommy, are you ever afraid to tell others about Jesus?”
Her question flabbergasted me for a moment. I wanted to answer with an immediate “No, absolutely not! Mommy is never afraid to tell others about Jesus!” But this was a teachable moment, and one I wanted to be honest with her about. And so I answered her the best way I knew how.
“Sometimes I do get little butterflies in my belly when I talk in front of others because I am nervous, but I love telling others about Jesus and His love. But yes, sometimes sweetie, I do get a little afraid because it isn’t always easy to do that.”
She turned towards me with her signature crooked smile.
“Yeah, well when I tell others about Jesus, I’m only a little afraid too. But only a little.” She said as if she speaks to crowds of people all the time. She ran off to chase her sister with her sideways piggy tails bouncing behind her and I sat back contemplating the weight of what she had just asked me.
I have to tell you friends. That simple question from my four year old has weighed heavily on my heart for weeks now. The truth is that sometimes I am afraid. Sharing our faith with others, and explaining our relationship with Jesus, can be hard sometimes.
Often, things like fear of rejection or judgment or uncertainty hold us back from telling others about Him. Maybe one of these statements rings true for you:
I don’t know the Bible as well as I should.
I might get asked something I don’t know.
I might be judged for sharing too much.
I make it clear I’m a Christian so they know how I feel about Jesus.
I don’t want to offend them; it might turn them off for good.
I get it friend. You see, it’s a lot easier for me to stand up in front of a group of seasoned believers and preach a message of encouragement and hope in Jesus. It’s safe there for me. It’s comfortable. But could I do this with someone I’ve just met? Someone I don’t know?
I cringe at the thought of how I hesitate at that.
You see, I want to raise girls that are warriors for Jesus. Girls that are fiercely protective of the Kingdom of God and its people. Girls that aren’t afraid to stand up for the lost. The broken. The devalued. The forgotten of society.
And to walk Jesus strong, they’re going to need an example to follow. My conversation with my oldest daughter led me to a stark realization. It’s time for me to warrior up and stop wasting time by not telling others about my love for Him.
Listen sweet friends, moment of hard truth. We don’t have time to spare. I say this with urgency because people need Jesus and they need Him desperately. They don't even know how much they need Him, but they do. And we need to be the ones to tell them about Him.
About His mercy. His grace. His forgiveness. How by His blood we get to live a blameless life.
We get pulled into a thousand directions every day. The world promotes a gazillion and one methods for finding peace and hope in the midst of a chaotic world.
But there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that will replace the peace Jesus gives us.
There is not a marketing tool or product that can dispense the hope we so desperately need like Jesus.
He is my answer. He is the answer.
I am nothing without Jesus. I am nothing without His love. I am nothing without His grace or mercy. I am nothing without His forgiveness. For because He paid it all, all to Him I will forever owe.
And I will fight tooth and nail so that others can know this too. I don’t want to be afraid to tell others about Jesus. I don’t want to hesitate when it comes to showing others who is my all in all. I won’t choose comfort anymore. I will not stand back and watch the world teach my girls who they are created to be...who I am created to be.
I will not allow fear to dwell within me any longer.
We can spend our days worrying about offending people or getting their approval or waiting for the perfect time to talk about Jesus, or we can start sharing about His love in any way we can.
Now is the time to testify. Now is the time to warrior up and make known whose Kingdom we serve. We serve a mighty God who is still alive. Who still works miracles. Who still redeems. Who still reaches out to us for a personal relationship. A God who is calling for His people to rise up and make His name known.
You don’t need to be a missionary in a far off land to tell others about Jesus. Our mission field is where God has planted us in our current season of life. Our work places. Our homes. Our churches. Our neighborhoods.
Telling others about Jesus isn’t about walking up to them and shouting the Bible at them. It comes in showing others who we are in Him and what He’s done in us.
Let your life be your testimony. Practice an attitude of thankfulness in every situation. Tell people of the miracles He’s performed in your own life, big and small. Tell them of the chains you’ve been freed from. Tell them about His goodness. Tell them about the God you love and the Son who went to the cross for you. For them. For us all.
My daughter’s question sparked a change in me. My work as a mother has a clearer vision now and a clearer purpose. I want them to watch me as I grow in my faith and know that they have a mother who loved Jesus with everything she had and wasn't afraid to tell others about Him. A mother who was never fearful or ashamed of The Gospel message.
May my life, and yours, be reflective of Acts 20:24:
“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”
Forever yours Jesus, Amen.
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