Give me a word, Lord: SHARING

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Philemon 1:6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.

Psalm 96:2-4 Sing to the LORD; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.

Sharing can be easy at times, but other times it is very difficult to share. Take for instance a toddler who is playing with his favorite toy. If you attempt to take that toy, you are likely going to meet the fiery wrath of the terrible twos! We have to teach children to share with others. Our Jude doesn’t like to share his Pop Pop, Mimi, Paw Paw, Mama, Daddy, or Nanny with others, but that kid has a sharing heart! He loves to pick flowers and bring them to all the ladies. I can’t tell you how many rocks I’ve been gifted because “this one is just beautiful, Mimi, and I want you to have it.” Or “I want you to have this one because it’s a perfect square.” And he loves to share his lovely art work and make cards and write letters in 4 year old jargon. He makes my heart smile BIG!

I love to share too. I love to make things and give them away just because it’s so much fun. I started sharing these morning devotionals because I felt we all could use a little encouragement during this storm of life we are going through. I love, love, love sharing my faith! It’s really easy for me to sit down here every morning and pour my heart out to whoever is reading and tell you about Christ. I pray before I write, and I ask God to give the words to share. As you can see, I’m not short on words! But what about that sharing the good news of Christ one on one? Ouch! That one is a little harder. Even though it’s hard, we have to share Christ with others. It’s our duty! If we don’t share Him, who will?

When I first became a Christian, I was like a toddler with a new toy. I had Christ. He was mine. I was saved. I didn’t need to share Him. For many years, I was content in the knowledge that I was saved by faith, and that’s all I needed. However, the good Lord saw fit to change my heart and helped me realize that everybody needed Jesus, not just me! It’s hard to get those conversations started at first. The first words are always the hardest, but once the words start flowing, they will continue to flow. You just have to get started. Our pastor shared some evangelism pearls with us a while back. He shared that we could start by asking about family, and then activities they enjoy, and then move on to discussing religion. Ask what church they attend. Then the conversation can flow to sharing Christ. It helps when you have a plan in place, but sometimes you just have to wing it.

We ran into an old friend at the gas pumps a while back. I was in the store, and he and Jeff spoke for a few minutes before I came out. After we left, Jeff said they were talking about how nice these spring mornings have been, and Eddie asked him, “what do you think the thermostat in heaven is going to be set on?” I told Jeff, “wow, I’m stealing that line!” What a great, easy way to lead into a conversation about Christ!

Sharing our faith can be as easy or as hard as we make it. There’s no doubt that old devil is going to try to shut your mouth. He’ll put stumbling blocks in your path. Fear will sneak in. You may feel you don’t have the ability or the words or just feel totally inadequate. Well, guess what? I feel the same way! It’s scary, but I have learned that all I have to do is be brave enough to open my mouth. The Holy Spirit will provide the words. He does and He will every…single…time! You just have to start the conversation, plant the seed, and let God do the rest!