A Fire in My Bones

One of the biggest struggles we face as God's men is sharing our faith with those around us. Fear of persecution and ridicule for speaking of what Christ has done in our lives can leave us spiritually paralyzed. Man in the Mirror Ministries recently reported that despite the freedom we have to worship, the United States now has the fourth largest unchurched population in the world. This statistic can be very discouraging, but don't forget that God has called us to play offense and he's given us a message that needs to be delivered.

Consider the perseverance of Jeremiah. For 40 years he served as God's spokesman to Judah. As the nation continued it's moral slide that eventually led to it's being conquered by Babylon, Jeremiah consistently and passionately urged the people to turn from sin and turn back to God, but nobody moved. In chapter 20, he laid his discouragement and frustration before the Lord. "Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long." (v.8). But in the very next verse, we see that Jeremiah's message was too important to withhold. "But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

Don't let the discouragement of deaf ears and insults stop you from sharing the Gospel. Pray that God would allow his life-saving message of forgiveness to burn like fire in your bones and compel you to share it with others, regardless of the results.