Defiantly, Unashamedly, Generously — Speak Truth Unashamedly - Monday
TODAY’S VERSE
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (ESV)
Have you ever been ashamed of the Gospel?
Of course not!! My flesh wants to respond defensively, ignoring memories of conversations that could have happened — no, should have happened — but didn’t because I got caught up in fear.
In my head, “the gospel” and “shame” should never sit in the same sentence. As followers of Jesus, I know we’re here to speak truth unashamedly. After all, the gospel is the most important news we’ll ever receive! But in practice, and I AM ashamed to say this, I’ve been guilty of leaving behind opportunities to talk about Jesus because I didn’t take the chance to trust that my God is bigger than my fear. The rejection, mockery, or scoffs I might receive in response could never outweigh the importance of the Gospel.
I spent 23 months working in corporate America. For the first 16 months, I was one of only two Jesus followers in our office of over a hundred. I’d love to say I started a Bible study, got to work early to pray over desks, relentlessly invited my coworkers to church, or initiated gospel conversations daily. The reality is, it often felt like an act of war just to pray and thank God for my food before eating, step away from my coworkers’ gossip conversations, keep Post-it notes with scripture at my desk, or even mention the name of Jesus when opposing beliefs rose up in conversation.
I wish I’d taken every opportunity, and not just some, to speak the name of Jesus. Because I see now, even more clearly than I’d seen then, how imperative it is to speak truth unashamedly.
In my time there, I’d overhear conversations daily that went something like, “And he asked me if I believed in Jesus! Jesus! I was horrified.” “Oh, no! That’s awful. He should have never done that.” Or “I think my grandparents are delusional. They still go to church and believe in God.” Or some that simply glorified sin. Some days, I regrettably let those comments get to me, and fear of backlash outweighed my commitment to unashamedly sharing the truth with people I knew for a fact were living in darkness. Not because I believed or preached another gospel, but because I allowed myself to opt out in moments I really needed to lean in.
The reality is God taught me some incredibly important lessons through that season — lessons I wished I’d been armed with before stepping into a culture antithetical to the gospel, but alas can take forward now. One of them is this: We speak truth unashamedly, not just because the gospel isn’t something to be ashamed of, but because the gospel is a matter of life and death. Shame doesn’t even have a seat at the table or a place in the fight. We speak truth unashamedly because Jesus put our sin to death on the cross. Jesus put our death to death through His resurrection. Ever since His death and resurrection, Jesus has been rescuing the sons and daughters of God. I am one of the rescued—and I want others to know they can be rescued too. Sin is heinous, and there’s a war going on for human souls. But we know the One who wins the war — and His name is Jesus.
APPLICATION
We talk a lot about our one more — the person in your life who is close to you, but far from God. Someone you are praying will come to know Jesus. You’ve been praying for them, but when was the last time you actually shared the Gospel with them? Invited them to church? Opted into a hard conversation on truth? Take some time this week and pray for the opportunity to engage in a gospel conversation with your one more.
PRAYER
Jesus, you are THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No one comes to the Father except through You. When I’m tempted to let fear or shame hold me back from sharing the gospel, remind me that You have won the war. Yours is the victory, Lord, and this spiritual battle is not merely a battle of preference or lifestyle, but a matter of life and death. Refocus my heart and remind me that the gospel changes everything. Give me the strength and courage to share when opportunities arise and to love those in front of me well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
