So, I managed to get the Christmas letter with a family photograph out to every-relative-and-then-some, even though I wasn’t much in the mood to do any of it. I know that I am not the only one feeling rather sober about the times we’re in and although I’m tempted to pass that off as just “typical mire for the middle aged”, my nose is into the Scriptures enough to smell something fishy afoot.
Every year I try to give God the glory in all our family has been through the previous year. This year I was prodded to pass along the Gospel as well. Originally, I got a Christmas Quiz from Living Waters that was fun for us and decided to pass it along to a dozen or so of our Christian friends. As I was packing up envelopes, my husband asked why I wasn’t giving it to everyone.
Um………(eyes looking about embarrassed)…because they’ll be offended….because they’ll be angry….because they’ll hate me (more?)….because they’ll think I’m stupid…
Something is wrong when I don’t have a problem telling a total stranger about Jesus (like, what do I care if they hate me?) but the people I care about most get nothing other than “God’s been good to us. Merry Christmas.” So most everyone (the unlicked envelopes at the time anyway) will get the gospel in their mailbox, too.
And anyway, I love hearing testimonies about how people come to know Jesus! It is usually some sort of wild or unexpected occurrence that believers remember with awe and tell with reverence and joy. Suddenly the world makes sense. Wouldn’t it be neat if the seed found good soil via a weak-kneed timid middle-aged woman? Only God could do that!
The truth is that if a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ were NOT offending someone by telling them the truth, I would wonder…..is he or she really telling them the truth? I’m afraid I’m too content most times to let others blissfully go to their death unsaved. Shame on me.
So….yes….if I’ve told you about Jesus, it’s because I love you enough to tell you. Consider Jesus. Even if the messenger is lacking.
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