By Michelle Barringer
When you read the sentence “Be brave, obey and share the gospel,” how do you feel? Fear, doubt, worry, insecurity or something else? I’m here today to encourage you to take these three steps of faith with greater confidence.
How to Be Brave and Share the Gospel
In May, I began the 100 Days to Brave journey following Annie F. Downs’ devotional. Jesus challenged me in new ways. One day, I felt the nudge to be brave and share on LinkedIn.com that I’m a Christian.
It’s one thing to share on social media sites that are more personal in nature, but LinkedIn.com is an online platform to connect professionals. However, Jesus had been calling me to be brave, obey and share the gospel. So, I did.
I wrote, “Being brave again today. I am a Christian…” Then, I shared a vulnerable blog post I had written, How to Begin Following Jesus Once Again. And when I published this declaration on LinkedIn.com, I nervously gulped.
Following Jesus means obeying him and that means we need to be brave.
To date, there have been 272 views of this blog post on LinkedIn.com alone. That means 272 people read my words, “I am a Christian.” And they clicked on my blog post! That makes my heart happy. I’m sure Jesus is happy too.
Can’t you hear him say, “Way to go, Michelle! You did it! I knew you could be brave and share the good news about your faith in me!” He will say this to you too as you take steps to be brave, obey and share the gospel.
Jesus Confirms His Word Then and Now
When I got home from a walk with a friend one evening last week, I asked Jesus, “What do you want me to write about for the wives that connect with A Wife Like Me?”
His answer was immediate: “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Because he has been commanding me to share that I am a Christian, I’m convinced he wants us all to do this. He wants us to follow his example so we can be brave, obey and share the gospel.
The Lord worked with his disciples way back at the beginning. When they went out and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, Jesus confirmed his word by showing signs and wonders through them (Mark 16:20). He still does, friend.
We may not personally see the signs or wonders when we share that we are Christians and share the gospel of Jesus, but his word never returns empty. In fact, in Isaiah 55:11 the Lord says, “My word that comes from my mouth; it does not return to me empty. Instead, it does what I want, and accomplishes what I intend.” (CEB)
So, we can know he’s doing something whenever we share his words even if we don’t witness the effects in others. Jesus does. And, it’s not just the effect his words have on others. It’s also about the effect sharing his good news has on us.
Share the Good News Everywhere
Jesus intends for everyone everywhere to know who he is, and we get to help him accomplish this. So, I ask, are we personally obeying this very command from Jesus himself?
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15 CSB)
Unfortunately, many of Jesus’ disciples aren’t doing this. One reason we don’t is due to fear. Let’s face it, it’s not just our faith we can be afraid to share with others. It can be our beliefs about other topics too, such as politics.
I believe we are afraid of what others might think of us. We are afraid of being shut down. What might happen to our relationships if they don’t receive it well?
That same fear prevents God’s people from being brave and sharing the good news he commanded us to share:
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
I’ve also learned that many Christians aren’t clear on what the gospel message is – so no wonder we don’t feel comfortable sharing the gospel if we aren’t even sure what ‘the gospel’ message is! Let’s get clear now, okay?
The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ! God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins on the cross, he was then buried, and resurrected – so that now, whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
This is the gospel message! The very best news on earth.
Friend, Jesus is surely with you always. He wants you to obey him. He’s hungry for you to share with someone about him. If I can do this, so can you. We can be brave to share our faith with one person in some way every day.
Imagine if all of God’s followers obeyed him. Imagine all who could believe and be saved because we were brave enough to say, “I am a Christian. I love Jesus. He is my Savior King! He loves you. He died on the cross for you. And I’m here now to tell you the good news about him.”
Wife Step: Be brave, obey and share the gospel with one person today. Say it out loud to one person or post on social media, “I am a Christian!” Be brave, obey and share Jesus.
Michelle Barringer is a writer, speaker, blogger, Gallup-certified Strengths Coach, and a full-time learning and development consultant. She has a master’s degree in communication. Michelle is currently writing her first book in the wee hours of the morning. She is NOT a morning person.
She’s journeyed with Jesus for a long time getting to know Him better, and has gotten to know herself better in the process. Michelle is an encourager and cheerleader. She only has one goal and mission in life: to live the purpose of God and encourage you to do the same. Her biggest passion is to encourage hearts in faith, purpose, and perseverance.
You can join Michelle on social media @michellerbarringer on Instagram and Facebook and her website www.michellebarringer.com where she writes about faith, purpose, and perseverance sharing true stories and biblical insight.
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