For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16 ESV)
“It’s time to go,” Gabriel shouts. “I’ll get the baseball gloves.”
It’s the week before school starts. And it’s lunchtime. On Wednesdays, throughout the summer, we’ve gathered with a group of friends at the park. It’s a grace-filled deal.
The moms pack a picnic (I usually toss apples, peanut butter, and bread in a basket). The kids bring baseball gear. And getting there is easy. If we can make it, great. If not, it’s okay.
It’s an hour or two of pared-back simplicity.
Today, while I’m driving and the kids are chatting in the back, I think about how the beauty of this arrangement is like my desire to share the gospel with those who do not know of the saving grace of Jesus. I want to simply share God’s love for us.
But sometimes I hesitate because I clutter truth with my own fear. I make sharing the gospel cumbersome and complicated with my own thoughts and insecurities.
What if I try to share the salvation message, and it doesn’t come out right? What if I misrepresent God’s truth, and it becomes a stumbling block rather than a ray of soul-saving light?
And these doubts can keep me from sharing.
And truth is tied tight by my own self-issued cords.
Lord, strip away my hesitation. Strip away my fears and doubts. Let your Spirit give me the words, strength, and confidence to share Your plan of salvation. Honor my desire to simply share Your life-giving love.
“We’re here,” Gabriel shouts from the backseat when we turn into the entrance for the park. I find a parking place. Seat belts unsnap, and the van doors fly open. There’s movement and clatter from the back as the boys grab their stuff. In a short second they’re off and running to see their friends.
I’m blessed by the non-complicated, easy pace of this day.
And when slimmed down from the cumbersome weight of worry, I’ll be blessed to simply share the sweet grace of God’s love, too.
