Word of the Week: Public

We live in a world that tells us that faith is a private thing. “You can believe whatever you want, just keep it to yourself.” However, Jesus tells us something different. In Matthew 5:13-16, he tells us our faith has something to offer the world. As salt and light, what we believe about Jesus should show up in how we live for the good of other people. No one has to convince us to talk about something that excites us, whether it’s a new restaurant or our favorite movie. Is anything more lifechanging than Jesus?

Still, being public with our faith can cause some friction. Here are some of my thoughts on how we can do it well.

1. Be Patient – Don’t feel like you have to download the entire content of the Bible into one conversation. For a lot of people, it takes time. It starts with a good example in how we live that leads to conversations. Notice: conversations is plural. Trust God’s timing.

2. Be Bold – Some of you are going to read what I just wrote above and use that as an excuse to not do anything at all. “I’m building credibility to have a conversation later.” How do I know that? Because that’s exactly what I’m like. I don’t struggle with being patient. I struggle to be bold. Take a risk this week and mention something about your faith. Tell someone you’ll pray for them. Be willing to ask questions when someone says they’re, “Fine.” We live for God’s approval, not other people.

3. Be Genuine – You don’t have to pretend you have everything figured out and put together to be a public witness. In fact, we can actually hide the gospel by trying to be perfect!! Being a Christian doesn’t mean we become perfect people. It means, even with all our weaknesses and doubts, Jesus still receives us. Being sanctified means we’re making progress, not necessarily that we’ve arrived. Your doubts and faults don’t disqualify you. The fact that we’re fragile and unimpressive jars of clay draws even more attention to the glory of grace.

Don’t confine your faith to Sunday mornings. Instead, let it spill over into all the other areas of your life. Who knows just how Jesus might use that.