"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15b
Perhaps it's a southern expression, but whenever a newborn baby begins to make those sweet 'coo-ing' sounds, you'll often hear someone say, "They've found their voice!" Now, if you're a parent, you know for a fact that they found their voice long before that by the ear piercing cries they can sometimes bellow out! However, I suppose the expression is used to point out that the baby has learned to make happy noises with their voice, which will one day turn into words, which turn into sentences and questions. And then one day, you're longing for those quiet coos as opposed to the barrage of questions that parents many times are faced with!
Well, our dog has recently "found his voice." For the first twelve years of our dog's very boring life, he rarely made a peep. He was the most low-maintenance dog you could have asked for . . . until now! He has "found his voice" and he barks almost incessantly at times. It is quite the strangest thing to see such a dramatic change in his demeanor.
When it comes to my personal nature, I'm not as talkative as some people, but I'm not what you would consider to be a shy person. Unfortunately, there are definite times whenever I "lose my voice." There are plenty of times whenever I speak when I should be silent, but there are also plenty of times whenever I'm silent and should have spoken. This unfortunate truth played out recently in a local ice cream shop.
Our family had left church and gathered with some extended family at a popular ice cream chain for some treats and fellowship. The restaurant was extremely busy that night, as many other church-goers must have had the same craving for ice cream as we did! However, in the midst of the obvious church crowd, there was one young man who stood out. I ended up right beside him as we waited for our orders to be brought to us. As I'm standing slightly behind him, I casually read the back of his t-shirt. Then I read it again . . . and again a third time. His shirt read:
"YOUR GOD CAN'T SAVE YOU".
I couldn't believe it! I was obviously standing beside a living, breathing atheist. All of my family had already taken a seat in the back of the restaurant, so I couldn't pass the buck to my husband to strike up a conversation with this gentleman. It was all on me. And what did I do?
Did I engage him in a beautiful conversation that led to his wayward soul to Jesus?
Did I offer to pray for him?
Did I even make eye contact with him?
No, no, and no.
I lost my voice.
I said nothing.
Do you want to hear all of my excuses . . . because they're really good!
Have you ever lost your voice?
Have you missed an opportunity to speak up for Jesus?
Have you forfeited the chance to share the Gospel with someone who needed it?
If you have . . . join the crowd! I ashamedly tell you that story because I truly believe that God places us in situations like that to see what our response will be. If I've missed an opportunity, then I feel certain that perhaps you have, too.
We live in such a dark world that is living everyday without the presence of a Savior in their lives. We like to stay in our little church bubble and surround ourselves with people who look like us, talk like us, and believe like we believe. Unfortunately, by doing that, we're never able to interact with the people who need what we have.
Also, if we never interact with lost people, we're never sharpening our witnessing tools. We weren't placed on this earth to receive the blessing of salvation and then never share that blessing with someone else. We've been commissioned by Christ Himself to be an active part of making disciples out of the lost souls around us.
Peter commands us in our focal verse to be ready. Be prepared. Whether we're directly questioned about our faith, or whether we meet someone who is oblivious to our faith, we have to be ready to share the hope that we have through Christ with them.
I hope you're able to find your voice the next time you get the opportunity to share Christ with someone. Don't do what I did and let the opportunity pass by and then have to humbly repent for it later. Perhaps you will stop and pray right now and ask God to place someone in your path that needs to hear about the reason for the hope you have.
Will you choose to find your voice for Jesus today?
Perhaps it's a southern expression, but whenever a newborn baby begins to make those sweet 'coo-ing' sounds, you'll often hear someone say, "They've found their voice!" Now, if you're a parent, you know for a fact that they found their voice long before that by the ear piercing cries they can sometimes bellow out! However, I suppose the expression is used to point out that the baby has learned to make happy noises with their voice, which will one day turn into words, which turn into sentences and questions. And then one day, you're longing for those quiet coos as opposed to the barrage of questions that parents many times are faced with!
Well, our dog has recently "found his voice." For the first twelve years of our dog's very boring life, he rarely made a peep. He was the most low-maintenance dog you could have asked for . . . until now! He has "found his voice" and he barks almost incessantly at times. It is quite the strangest thing to see such a dramatic change in his demeanor.
When it comes to my personal nature, I'm not as talkative as some people, but I'm not what you would consider to be a shy person. Unfortunately, there are definite times whenever I "lose my voice." There are plenty of times whenever I speak when I should be silent, but there are also plenty of times whenever I'm silent and should have spoken. This unfortunate truth played out recently in a local ice cream shop.
Our family had left church and gathered with some extended family at a popular ice cream chain for some treats and fellowship. The restaurant was extremely busy that night, as many other church-goers must have had the same craving for ice cream as we did! However, in the midst of the obvious church crowd, there was one young man who stood out. I ended up right beside him as we waited for our orders to be brought to us. As I'm standing slightly behind him, I casually read the back of his t-shirt. Then I read it again . . . and again a third time. His shirt read:
"YOUR GOD CAN'T SAVE YOU".
I couldn't believe it! I was obviously standing beside a living, breathing atheist. All of my family had already taken a seat in the back of the restaurant, so I couldn't pass the buck to my husband to strike up a conversation with this gentleman. It was all on me. And what did I do?
Did I engage him in a beautiful conversation that led to his wayward soul to Jesus?
Did I offer to pray for him?
Did I even make eye contact with him?
No, no, and no.
I lost my voice.
I said nothing.
Do you want to hear all of my excuses . . . because they're really good!
- The area we were standing in was crowded and noisy and starting a conversation like that would be way too difficult in that location.
- He was a young marine who would probably be more open to a conversation with a man.
- I might stumble over my words because I've never witnessed to an atheist before.
Have you ever lost your voice?
Have you missed an opportunity to speak up for Jesus?
Have you forfeited the chance to share the Gospel with someone who needed it?
If you have . . . join the crowd! I ashamedly tell you that story because I truly believe that God places us in situations like that to see what our response will be. If I've missed an opportunity, then I feel certain that perhaps you have, too.
We live in such a dark world that is living everyday without the presence of a Savior in their lives. We like to stay in our little church bubble and surround ourselves with people who look like us, talk like us, and believe like we believe. Unfortunately, by doing that, we're never able to interact with the people who need what we have.
Also, if we never interact with lost people, we're never sharpening our witnessing tools. We weren't placed on this earth to receive the blessing of salvation and then never share that blessing with someone else. We've been commissioned by Christ Himself to be an active part of making disciples out of the lost souls around us.
Peter commands us in our focal verse to be ready. Be prepared. Whether we're directly questioned about our faith, or whether we meet someone who is oblivious to our faith, we have to be ready to share the hope that we have through Christ with them.
I hope you're able to find your voice the next time you get the opportunity to share Christ with someone. Don't do what I did and let the opportunity pass by and then have to humbly repent for it later. Perhaps you will stop and pray right now and ask God to place someone in your path that needs to hear about the reason for the hope you have.
Will you choose to find your voice for Jesus today?
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