Micah and I went to a gathering of believers the other night. The fellow who sort of leads the group asked two main questions. The second question was something like, "What gets in our way of sharing the glory of the Kingdom of God?"
We discussed this question. I shared that my biggest struggles are wanting to please people (i.e. not offend, avoid making someone uncomfortable...), thus not trusting Christ to be the ultimate ruler that He is, just trusting Him to say whatever He wants to say. What I didn't say is that He is also trustworthy for what He DOESN'T want to say. Whether or not we say what is on our mind any given moment, we can always trust that it is Christ in us (us in Christ) who permits and prohibits words, actions, thoughts, encounters, etc.
Micah had some beautiful, biblically inarguable thoughts that he chose to share with me once we left the group (which I really loved). He respected what I had to say, and agreed with thoughts I had...though he put them so much more simply and honestly. He said, "Just don't worry about it. I don't know what people want me to say. It's not about saying anything about God, it's about loving people. Just love them....I might be forgetting, but I can't remember one instance in the Bible when Jesus just walked up to someone and started talking to them about God from out of nowhere. He loved people, and when they asked, He would usually answer with a parable that said nothing about the word, 'God,' but would lead to a lesson about God's kingdom." And Micah is right.
Granted, the apostles did go places just to say, "I am here to tell you about Jesus of Nazareth..." but we also might take note that not every single Christian/disciple travelled with the apostles. Many stayed in their homes, maybe putting on plays...or feeding their brothers and sisters. I do know that they sold everything in order to send the apostles on their evangelistic journeys (references can definitely be found in the book of Acts). I have a feeling that they did not worry about it. I have a feeling that they did not sit around (for the most part), wrecking their brains over what they should/shouldn't say to someone about Jesus. They simply gave everything of themselves. Even when Paul wrote to his brothers and sisters who were living according to their flesh, he never said, "Welp, you're screwed. You're going to hell." While he did tell them very honestly about the sinful behavior among them, he also encouraged them in faith.
So I've thought about that question over the past few days, thinking over what Micah said, what the others shared, and what I shared. I hadn't gotten a satisfying, one-word answer that I was desiring. This morning, the Spirit has so mercifully reminded me that the biggest obstacle I face in sharing the glory of God's Kingdom....is ME. Here are some thoughts we all shared (most people recognized, without assistance from others in the group, that the idea wasn't necessary because God is beyond our ideas):
I feel like I have to be relevant. People need to think I am cool enough so that if I mention God, He will seem more appealing.
I feel like I have to make the idea of Christ more palatable.
I don't trust Jesus enough.
I don't give him enough of my time.
I don't want to offend people.
When I replace the words, "I/my" with Christ (Galatians 2:20), I realize how humorous our ideas sound. I am actually laughing at the reasons I gave because it is just funny! Christ trusts Himself/the Father plenty. Christ went the ULTIMATE length to please people! I will refer to the relevant answer because that one resonated in all of us. Christ is the most relevant entity in the world. He is LOVE. There is absolutely nothing more relevant than Love. Everyone wants love. The most popular songs are written about it. Jewelry businesses makes tons of money from it. Our economy thrives on it because of dates and family vacations. The list goes on and on...
Therefore, I am the biggest obstacle I face in sharing the glory of the kingdom. No longer I but Christ (G2.20). With eyes on Jesus and the selflessness of His love, there is no obstacle. He is trustworthy, He is good, and He knows all. He works all things for the good of those who love Him! This is Good News! It doesn't matter if we are studying for a test, putting on makeup for a show, driving to work, eating a donut, on the elliptical, standing in front of a thousand people proclaiming the gospel, playing with children...each moment is a moment He has given, and each step is part of the journey He has made for us. It is particular to YOU, mine is to ME. I desire to thank Him for every step of the way and say, "Wow...this is a road that you have paved just for me! Because it is the perfect path for me! Because you LOVE me that much. Thank you. I can never return the gift, but I accept it and choose to enjoy it abundantly!"
