TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• A few weeks ago, I had to upgrade my iPhone. Purchasing a new phone always demands an on-the-spot secondary purchase of an iPhone case because I am a klutz who tends to drop things.
The phone case selection was slim at the Verizon store, and my phone is the only part of my shopping life where “pretty” is completely outranked by “utilitarian.” (Again — I drop things.) It’s been a few years since I chose the brand, but for this phone, I decided on an Otterbox case. It seemed to be the most durable, but I’ve managed to break Otterbox cases in the past, so I know they aren’t indestructible. Still, I knew my phone would be pretty well protected for the most part.
Here’s the problem: no one can hear me with this case on my phone. I’m going to have to look for another case because I have to keep pulling the phone out since everyone complains about how muffled I am. And what good is this stupid case when I have to keep subjecting my phone to potential breakage if I accidentally drop it while using it?! (Dropping the phone mid-call is fairly commonplace in my life, as many people have been witness — or victim — to when a series of “Sorry’s” follow a loud crash!).
As I’ve thought about this, it occurs to me that we often stay muffled in our Christian lives too.
We go about in a bubble of self-protection that keeps us silent from fulfilling the command to go into the world to share the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20).
“What on earth is she talking about?”
Hear me out… what keeps you from speaking up about Jesus? What silences you from praying for a friend? What prevents you from inviting others to church?
Fear.
Fear of looking or sounding stupid (or crazy) to someone else. Fear of saying the wrong thing or even knowing where to start. Fear of offending.
And fear keeps our voices muffled.
Trust me — the enemy likes your voice muffled. And he’s conniving, convincing you that the person you might speak to will not want to hear about Jesus… the enemy will convince us that someone “more qualified” will do it. The enemy wants us to procrastinate to “next time,” in the probable chance that we won’t share our faith at the next opportunity either.
But there are no exceptions or loopholes here. If you are a Christian, you are obligated by Christ Himself to be a part of the Great Commission. Your voice cannot, and should not, be muffled.
I’m a big fan of “The Chosen,” and (spoiler alert, but just a little one) in Season 2, a highly anxious Andrew confronted a man and woman who were proclaiming Jesus, speaking of the miracle they experienced. After he asked them to be quiet, the woman responded, “How can we not speak of what we have seen?”
It’s the same for us. We may not have witnessed a specific miracle, but if we’ve accepted Christ, we are ourselves recipients of a miracle! Don’t underestimate the power of a transformed and changed life as “unmiraculous.” (I’m not sure that’s a word, but let’s go with it anyway…) If you have the Holy Spirit in you because of the forgiveness offered by the risen Savior who spent three days in a tomb after an excruciating beating and crucifixion… well… to use the words spoken in “The Chosen,” “How can we not speak of what we have seen?”
Since I’m in movie quote mode, let’s go over to “God’s Not Dead 2,” where main character Grace Wesley says, “I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world, than stand with the world and be judged by God. “
That about sums it up.
Let’s take off the fear that muffles us… the fear that the enemy tries to use for our “self-protection,”… and let’s take Jesus at His words — “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18b-20).
To make sure we got all the points, let me bullet point the key highlights for us, just in case we missed them due to familiarity of the Scripture…
- All authority belongs to Jesus.
- No one has more authority than Jesus.
- God gave Jesus all the authority — not part of it — all of it.
- Go.
- Make disciples.
- Baptism is a reflection of a transformed life.
- Teach others about Jesus and what He says.
- Jesus is always with you and never leaves you.
Repeat that. Not “as needed.” Just keep doing it. Keep going. Don’t stop.
Remove the fear and speak loudly so no one can say that they don’t hear. And if you drop your calling, hang in there. Jesus will protect you, and He’s still with you.
Today, as you pray, thank Jesus for His message and His promises. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the courage to speak the truth of your faith boldly, knowing that in being faithful, there’s no reason to fear. Jesus is with you.
SHARING ••• My Grace-Full Life is written by Denise Heidel. You are welcome to share anything I write, but please credit my writing and graphics accordingly. Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. Subscribe through my website to have My Grace-Full Life delivered to your email. You can unsubscribe at any time. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the NKJV translation.
