Defiantly, Unashamedly, Generously — Speak Truth Unashamedly - Thursday
TODAY’S VERSE
Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (ESV)
When I was in high school, I attended a CIY Move conference in Holland, MI. That summer, I’d been reading a lot of stories about young people who were doing pretty extraordinary things — moving across the globe to serve in missions, starting their own businesses, writing books, etc. Both in real life and in fiction, everyone seemed to be accomplishing radical achievements at an early age. Near the end of the event, everyone received a unique challenge card. Each card had an action step to encourage students to get out of their comfort zone and accomplish something for the Kingdom of God. There was a wide variety represented — from praying daily to raising money to build a well in a community without clean water. I was ready for someone to challenge me to do something big, probably because that’s what I thought I was “supposed” to do.
Then I got my card.
It said, “Read through the Psalms.”
Seriously? I thought. Just… read my Bible? I took one look at that card and stuck it in the inside cover of my Bible.
The thing is, at that point in my life, reading through 150 Psalms was a huge challenge. I wasn’t excited to do it because it was a difficult discipline for me. I didn’t actually finish reading through all 150 Psalms for several more years—which is why I’m convinced God knew what He was doing that day.
Sometimes we know our next step in our heads — read our Bibles, go to church, get baptized, serve, share the Gospel with our neighbor. But we don’t actually give those things the time of day because we’re waiting for something bigger and more exciting to come along instead. Something we believe has substance, nothing mundane or day-to-day. We’d rather silo conversations about Jesus into a “church” or “mission trip” bucket, but never engage in them in our daily lives.
Our flesh is inclined to place limits on how we’ll let the Gospel change our lives — and in process, this demotes truth to something we speak occasionally or optionally. Don’t wait for the extraordinary to be faithful to God’s call on your life. Sometimes God calls us to obedience in big, difficult ways. But God always calls us to obedience in the daily and mundane. And He’s the One who adds the extra to our ordinary.
When we worship defiantly, speak truth unashamedly, and extend grace generously, it affects every single aspect of our lives. Jesus changes our lives radically, and we should see the effects — from our attitude about laundry to what we spend our money on to the conversations we have with friends. Jesus changes everything. Period.
So when God cracks open the next door to tell someone the redemptive story of how Jesus has rescued your life, walk through that door in faith — and don’t be ashamed.
APPLICATION
Take a few minutes to write out a list of places you go every week: work, school, the grocery store, etc. Then, write another list of people you interact with on a daily to weekly basis: your family members, your coworkers, your friends, etc. Pray through these two lists and ask God to open your eyes and ears to opportunities to engage in Gospel conversations this week.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be faithful in the mundane. When I get comfortable in my routines and my relationships, open my eyes to the ordinary that I might learn to recognize extraordinary opportunities to share Your Word in my day-to-day life. Shape my heart to be more like You and help me to never see any opportunity as too small or too simple to take. Thank You for the gift of life and Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
