Would They Even Know?…
Luke 9:25-26 (Amplified Bible)
25For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself?
26Because whoever is ashamed of Me and of My teachings, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in the [threefold] glory (the splendor and majesty) of Himself and of the Father and of the holy angels.
I recently received a correspondence, and as I read through the greetings, the information and the accolades contained in the correspondence, My eyes fell upon a section that made my heart sink. It read something like, “I have a deep personal relationship with Christ I pray often, but my friends would never know it.” I thought for sure I had read this section of the correspondence incorrectly, so I proceeded to reread it to ensure I had not missed something, but much to my pain and disappointment it read just as I had previously read it. Nothing had changed.
Recently, my Spiritual daughter went for a job interview, during the course of the interview, they asked her to tell them something about her that she felt important for them to know and what would make her a good leader. The first thing she said was I am a Christian. What a bold and Unmistakable statement. In that moment she had a choice to disclose the content of who she really was or to be ashamed of whom she was in Christ. She understood that her source was not sitting across from her, but her source was watching and listening to see if she would declare the truth of who she was regardless of what it may or may not cost her. When she relayed that story to me I was proud of her for standing by the courage of her convictions no matter what it may have appeared to be like for those hearing it. I am sure she made her Daddy proud and represented her Father well.
How many of us can even say that those closest to us know that we serve the True and Living God? Many of us our closet family members, friends and co-workers alike do not have a clue that you call yourself a Christian or that you follow Christ, because we are trying to fit in where we can get in. We are trying to live in the world, and be of the world and still serve God too. Our conversation, conduct and our lifestyle is not different than those that do not know God. We are allowing ourselves to become like Peter on the night that Jesus was betrayed, we are denying Him with our lives and the words we speak and try just to melt into the crowd so we escape judgment and possible ridicule. We cannot have a relationship with God that we want to keep on the down low. God is not a down low type of God. He expressly admonishes us if we are ashamed of Him and His words before men, they He will be ashamed of us before the Father. I would rather have people who did not die for my sins and have no heaven or no hell, judge and mock me than to have my Savior deny me in front of His Father who is God.
My spiritual mentor use to always say, “take the world but give me Jesus.” Although I understood the sentiment, I did not always understand the definition. She was declaring that no matter what you offered her in this world she would still never give up her relationship and her ability to declare and decree Him in front of anyone. For all God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit has done for us, how could we ever think to deny Him his just rewards. Don’t leave Jesus in a box on your shelf in your closet, never introducing Him to those around us. Begin to SAY IT LOUD, I AM SAVED AND I AM PROUD!
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