Going public

“If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to me, I will do the same for him before my Father in heaven”(Matthew 10:32)

Some people are so enthusiastic about what God is doing in their lives that they can’t wait to tell everyone they know about it. Their enthusiasm and excitement might motivate other people to go find out what God has to offer. Others may be a little overwhelmed by all the “God talk” and keep a save distance. Many people have a hard time talking about the changes they are experiencing in their lives. But they hear pastors and other believers say they should be looking for opportunities to share their faith.

Our culture teaches us from a young age it is not a good idea to discuss our religious beliefs with other people. There is a sense that this is a violation of personal boundaries and may even be considered rude or offensive.

On the other hand, Jesus tell us He expects His followers to acknowledge His as Lord and that they must be willing to do this publicly (Matthew 10:32-33). Most of us care what people think about us and we don’t want them to think of us as rude. We may also realize being perceived as offensive by other people won’t do anything to bring them closer to God. But we know Jesus wants us to make a public stand for Him. What does this mean? How does a new believer navigate this challenge in a way that both pleases God and has a positive influence on others?

There were probably many descriptive words people used to describe me at the time I gave my life to Jesus. “Christian” would not have been one of them. I worked in management in a big company and had worked hard to move forward in my career. I wasn’t a bad guy buy I certainly wasn’t the religious type either. As I began to experience the transformation Jesus was doing in my life I knew I needed to share this with other people. They were already speculating about the reasons for the way I was acting. “Why is he smiling all the time?” “Maybe he’s got a new job somewhere else and he’s going to leave us.” I heard them talking and I knew I had to tell them what had changed in my life. But how do you segue into a conversation about your exciting new experience with Jesus out of a normal workday conversation? I struggled in this place for some time, all the while feeling a clear sense that God wanted me to step forward publicly for Him.

I finally realized the perfect opportunity to share this might never arise. I scheduled a lunch with a few of my closest colleagues to tell them what had changed in my life. On the big day I prayed God would give me an opening in the conversation to share my big news. But our conversation didn’t veer anywhere near spiritual things. AS we were heading toward our cars I called them over and blurted our the message I had wanted to share. I told them I had become a Christian and was finding that my life was changing pretty dramatically. I wish I could tell you my friends asked several probing questions and then bowed their knees in the parking lot as they repented and received Christ. But that didn’t happen. It was a little bit awkward and jerky. But my secret had been revealed. I remember driving away from that meeting feeling a sense of God’s pleasure with me for being willing to be know as His servant.