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Have you ever felt like you should share the gospel, but it didn’t seem like the right time? You felt a nudge in your spirit, but you hesitated, and the moment passed?
Proverbs 14 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Today I want to encourage you to avoid the way that seems right, and walk in the way you know is right.
When we wait to share the gospel until the time seems right, it only results in lost time. It leads to the death of courage, the death of opportunity, and the death of faith. But when we act on what we know, it leads to greater conviction, more opportunity, and stronger faith.
God has grace, and if you missed an opportunity to share the gospel, you shouldn’t beat yourself up for it. Jesus told us that the world would hate us because of Him, and there is a real risk of embarrassment, persecution, pain, and death anytime we openly share the gospel.
But we know that we are called to testify to the truth. We know we are supposed to tell others about Jesus. We know we shouldn’t let things like fear of shame or pain stop us. So how do we overcome that fear and step out boldly in faith?
Like Micah, we look to the Lord.
Micah 7:7-8 - “I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”
God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). When we walk according to His word, He shines a light into a future that illuminates the path beyond troubles, beyond pain, beyond persecution, and beyond death. We know that no matter how people respond, when we share the gospel, we are doing the right thing. That leads to victory, because we are testifying to the goodness and mercy of Jesus Christ.
I have recently begun reading stories of those who were martyred and persecuted for the sake of Jesus Christ, and it is amazing how many of them chose to share the gospel boldly and openly, knowing it would result in pain and hardship.
To those of us who grew up in Western culture, it seems right to wait to share the gospel until we’ve built trust in the relationship, or the time is right, or circumstances fall in place. But to the great evangelists, the time to share the gospel is always now. They know that there is nothing to be gained through hesitation, and everything to be won by decisive action. They choose the way they know will lead to pain, the way they know will lead to death, because they know that time is short.
2 Corinthians 6:2 - “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
These are the men, women, and children who turn interrogations into opportunities to openly share the gospel. These are the faithful ones who let their pain become a testimony to the peace given by Jesus Christ. These are the ones who know that faith is more powerful than fear. They are the ones who give everything for the sake of the gospel.
You can't spell KNOW without NOW. Know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Know that today is the day of repentance. Know that today is the day of salvation. Know the truth, and share it now.
Today, if you have the chance to share the gospel, don’t shy away. Let the martyrs inspire you. Remember the words of Paul, and speak the truth.
Acts 20:20-21,24 - “ I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ… I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. “
Peace be with you.