Do you dare to speak the name of Jesus?
As Christians, we are often told that actions speak louder than words. But before we even get to the actions, do our words make the cut?
It’s one thing professing faith in ‘God’ or declaring belief in ‘spirituality,’ but do we speak for Jesus?
I say this because by today’s standards, the words ‘God’ and ‘spirituality’ have so many connotations, possessing a variety of man-made definitions.
It is only by Jesus’ name that we can establish the distinction of our faith when speaking in public; His Word is where real healing and freedom occurs. John 8: 31 – 32
I’ve found that our mission as Christians—which simply defined is to spread the word of Jesus Christ—arrives with a challenging choice. Do I choose to speak for my invisible, intangible Father in Heaven about Jesus’ way? Or, do I appease the physical world’s mass consensus and stay quiet about my faith? 1 John 2:15 – 17
Evangelism or simply discussing my faith has come to me through spiritual awakening. What I mean by this is last year, I was fearful to say anything about my growing faith because of what people might think of me.
Stephen’s gone crazy.
He’s lost his mind.
He’s under some form of trauma.
He’s been brainwashed.
He’s in despair.
When I opted to start speaking about God publicly, it wasn’t so much a conscious decision as it was a natural movement in my love for Christ; a spiritual transformation that happened to me without acknowledgement of it in the first instance.
It remains a matter of my God-given free-will choice whether I speak about Jesus, but the constraints of protecting my image or wanting to portray myself in a specific way, are no longer influencing my decision.
Vigilance is present in making certain I spread the Word with compassion, avoiding initiation of debates, arguments, or confrontation – I’ve learned that the rise of these situations is usually an indicator that an individual wants to hear the sound of their own intelligent voice, disproving the existence of God rather than engaging a discussion where they truly listen to what is being said.
However, a healthy debate between a Christian and non-Christian can be fruitful, or at least provide food for thought; it is out of my control whether listeners become aggressive, but I know I must always speak in love and humility, alert to pride tripping me up.
Although there could be other complications in speaking Jesus’ name; I may cause offense, I may annoy people, I may not look cool – it still comes down to the following questions:
- What do I seek: the joy of my God, the King of Kings? Or the appreciation, admiration, and adulation of my peers?
- Do I want to live Heaven on Earth through obedience to the Word? Or enjoy the world’s pleasures?
- Do I focus on the profoundness of the spiritual realm? Or relish the temporary solutions of the physical realm?
Speaking the word of God through Jesus has grown easier, but it’s been a very natural process; it didn’t need to be forced or channelled. One day, it just arrived and before I could know it, I’ve spent entire weeks talking to friends and family about Jesus.
I cannot deny that I still find it leaves me feeling small sometimes, which stems from pride, but I know with patience, God will remove this.
How have you found it talking about Jesus?
Or hearing about Him?
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