An Epiphany...

You know, it's always scary to get an epiphany in church because usually when God shows you something or tells you something, it requires action. I'm not so good at action, sleeping, now there's something I can get behind.

Anyway, I've been working through two different Bible studies the past few weeks, The Truth Project, put out by Focus on the Family and The Way of the Master, put out be Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. Each study focuses on a different aspect of faith. The Truth Project seeks to show Christians the way to a biblical worldview, and The Way of the Master seeks to teach Christians the importance of evangelism.

Let me just stop here to say that The Way of the Master study is perhaps the scariest study I have ever been a part of. You see, each week builds on the previous week in its expectation of the participants to evangelize the lost. In other words, you've got to actually talk to people about Christ. It feels funny to even type it, but I get REALLY scared even thinking about approaching a stranger about my faith. When I say REALLY scared, I mean sweaty palms, goose bumps, knocking knees, the whole bit. I know most of you feel that way too.

This morning, however, after watching The Truth Project in Sunday school, I posed the question to my class, "Do you REALLY believe that when people who don't know Christ die they step directly from this life into hell for eternity." I say that I believe that, but if I don't share, what does my life say I believe (the essence of The Truth Project). If I don't share, I've shown I don't truly believe that.

Exodus 20:3 (the first commandment) says, "You shall have no other gods before me."

Here's my question, if I let fear keep me from sharing my faith, what is my god? It is certainly not the God of all creation, the one who commands me to have no other gods before him.

Luke 10:27 says, "He answered: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'*; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Again, my question, if I don't share because of fear, meaning I have made fear my god, and if that keeps me from loving my neighbor, then I am guilty of breaking the two commandments Christ ranked at the top of the list.

Here's where the action comes in: there will likely be fear in sharing, and there will likely be moments when I'd rather serve fear than God, but what is more important in the light of eternity?

Who's your god? Who's mine?