JOY NUGGET: What's YOUR Story?

      So many times we may feel inadequate or overwhelmed when it comes to sharing the "Good News" with someone like we all know we are supposed to do right? Jesus tells us to "go into all the world and preach the gospel"...so why do we get so ...scared? Is it because we think that we have to know all the answers to every question that they might ask? Is it because we are afraid that they might get angry with us and reject the things we are sharing with them? Are we ashamed of what we know????  By not sharing the gospel...does that mean that we are being disobedient to God?
        These may be tough thoughts to make ourselves really think about what we are doing or not doing, but these are crucial questions that according to scripture...we probably need to be thinking about pretty seriously. Maybe the BIG truth about sharing the gospel is that it is really SUPER SIMPLE: We ARE the Gospel. Now, don't take that and run with it just yet... What I'm saying is that...God doesn't say that when you start telling someone about Him that you have to start in Genesis and work your way chronologically quoting the Bible to them and answering every question they might have about creation, and the flood, and the dinosaurs, and why the Israelites had to roam the desert for 40 years, and why people lived to be hundreds of years old, and....the point is...God simply wants you to tell your story about who He is to you and how He is changing your life.
       Now.... We are the Gospel because our lives should BE a reflection of the Gospel. We should be growing and changing and falling more in love with Jesus all the time because He is LIVING in us. If our lives are NOT a reflection of Jesus then maybe we should stop and think before we go representing Him to someone who might get the wrong idea of the Gospel. Because Jesus said to go into all the world and MAKE DISCIPLES.... and Jesus follows up with a list of what that should look like... Jesus didn't just say "okay guys, go and tell people about me" and that's it...no, He said go and make disciples. That means there is WAY more to sharing the Gospel than just telling people about Jesus..it's about making them disciples OF Jesus. We have to BE Disciples first before we can make disciples.  
       So don't take sharing the Gospel lightly, take it seriously. Take it so seriously that you live it out in front of people; That when you share your story of how Jesus has changed your life...the person you are talking to can see it AND believe the Gospel they are hearing. See, when we take Jesus seriously in our lives...sharing the Gospel will become the EASIEST thing we have ever done...because it is simply who we are. Sharing the Gospel is easy, it's getting to the place where we love Him more than everything else in this world that is the part that will test our true heart condition. We are on a journey, every day is one step closer to meeting Jesus face to face. He loves us and His heart rejoices every time we grow closer to Him. He loves those that cross our path every day and His will is that NONE should perish but that doesn't mean that they won't. It's a choice we all must make, and it's a choice we all must live out loud.  We've all heard the quote : "You might be the only BIBLE other people may read"... make sure they are reading the RIGHT Representation of Jesus Christ. Live Him Well and Share Him Well.  ;) -darby