You CAN cause fear to stand down. You CAN live a life free of fear. You CAN know when it will come and be prepared.
~Tricia
Showing posts with label fear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fear. Show all posts
Thursday, April 10, 2014
What Are You Afraid Of?
Monday, July 8, 2013
You Wanna See Grace at Work?
I grew up living in fear. Between threats of harm, guns being held to my mother's head right before my very eyes, beatings that left me black and blue and the screams of my mother and siblings, fear was a constant companion of mine from as far back as I remember. My dad ruled with alcohol and terror, losing control so quickly that I would never see it coming.
So, I knew fear. Fear was my friend. It helped me, protected me, made me aware of impending harm and was as natural to me as my hands. I wouldn't think of going without my fear any more than I would think of cutting off my hands.
Then, when I was 18 years old, I heard about this man, Jesus, Who died for my sin....and I heard that he rose up from the dead.....and I was enraptured with that very idea. How could it be? How could it not be? I became a believer.
My fear remained.
I got married - to a Baptist preacher no less.
My fear remained.
I started having kids.
My fear remained.
By age 26, I had two kids.
My fear remained.
What did I fear? You name it. I feared everything.
I feared being home alone because I knew a gunman would know I was home alone and would strike at that time.
I feared going places because I knew a car accident could happen at any moment, killing me and leaving my children motherless.
I feared medicine because someone could have tampered with it and it would kill me.
I feared. Everything.
One day, I heard a news story about a couple who was killed by their disgruntled repairman. He left their 7-month-old daughter to fend for herself until her parents' bodies were discovered two days later. A horrid story, I took it personally. In my irrationally fearful state, I thought sure that same man could do the same to us. I had a 7-month-old daughter at the time. I grew increasingly fearful to the point where fear completely took over my life. I could barely function for fear.
It never one time occurred to me to pray about my fear. It didn't enter my mind that my fear could be wrong, irrational, unnecessary or "unChristian-like." It just was. My fear was there as much as my hair was on my head; it was part of me. I didn't even feel the need or desire to rid myself of it.
Enter grace.
One night, my husband was sick and could not get up and check the house for whatever noise I'd heard. While I hid most of my fear from him, nightly rounds through the house because I'd heard a noise were common. This one night, he was too sick to wake up. It was left to me to check the house. It took me an hour to check on the kids in their rooms then make my way downstairs. I started this trek down the stairs at 2:00 AM and ended up in the kitchen at 3:00 AM. I checked every door, every lock, every window, turning on all the lights as I passed them by.
Then, it was 3:15 AM, I was wide awake and scared out of my mind. I had no choice but to sit up all night for fear that my dreaded gunman would come because my husband was too sick to defend us. I sat up on the couch till 5:00 AM, totally alert and rigid, ready to protect my children from this awful gunman who would kill parents of babies and leave the babies alone for days.
At 5:00 AM, I thought it was finally safe to go to bed. After all, gunmen do their bloody work in the night. 5:00 AM is a safe hour. I crawled back into bed, expecting to get three hours of sleep before the kids would wake up.
But, sleep would not come. Instead, I had an extremely startling thought. "What if a gunman killed you; you'd be in Heaven with Jesus; what's so bad about that?"
Ack! No, no! I thought aloud, "I can't leave my children motherless!!"
My next thought, "What? God cannot care for your children? He is God, after all; they are His children."
My thought-conversation continued with, "But we are just human! How could my children endure this?"
Then this:
"I will now lay me down in peace and sleep, for, Thou, Lord, only makes me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
"Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither the desolation of the wicked, when it comes." Proverbs 3:25
My next thought, "I don't need my fear! This is totally unnecessary! Whoa!"
Grace.
I have never felt the fear since.
If someone had suggested to me that I needed to rid myself of that fear, I would not have listened nor taken them seriously.
If someone has told me that my fear was sin, I would have thought they were out of their mind.
If someone had told me I needed to pray about my fear, I would not have listened but would have thought they didn't know what they were talking about.
Only God can change a human heart.
No amount of persuasion would have taken my fear like grace did. In one fell swoop, with no fanfare, God, in His unthinkable, unstoppable grace, took my fear and I have lived free from it ever since.
This, my friends, is the living God we serve.
This, my friends, is what our God can do in your life, no matter what you are struggling against......or as it was with me, not struggling against anything at all. I didn't struggle with my fear. I just accepted it as part of me and had planned to live with it for the rest of my life.
God had better plans.
I had nothing whatsoever to do with it..
"It is God Who works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13.
Trust His grace.
No appointment necessary.
Read my full story here.
Praise be.
~Tricia
So, I knew fear. Fear was my friend. It helped me, protected me, made me aware of impending harm and was as natural to me as my hands. I wouldn't think of going without my fear any more than I would think of cutting off my hands.
Then, when I was 18 years old, I heard about this man, Jesus, Who died for my sin....and I heard that he rose up from the dead.....and I was enraptured with that very idea. How could it be? How could it not be? I became a believer.
My fear remained.
I got married - to a Baptist preacher no less.
My fear remained.
I started having kids.
My fear remained.
By age 26, I had two kids.
My fear remained.
What did I fear? You name it. I feared everything.
I feared being home alone because I knew a gunman would know I was home alone and would strike at that time.
I feared going places because I knew a car accident could happen at any moment, killing me and leaving my children motherless.
I feared medicine because someone could have tampered with it and it would kill me.
I feared. Everything.
One day, I heard a news story about a couple who was killed by their disgruntled repairman. He left their 7-month-old daughter to fend for herself until her parents' bodies were discovered two days later. A horrid story, I took it personally. In my irrationally fearful state, I thought sure that same man could do the same to us. I had a 7-month-old daughter at the time. I grew increasingly fearful to the point where fear completely took over my life. I could barely function for fear.
It never one time occurred to me to pray about my fear. It didn't enter my mind that my fear could be wrong, irrational, unnecessary or "unChristian-like." It just was. My fear was there as much as my hair was on my head; it was part of me. I didn't even feel the need or desire to rid myself of it.
Enter grace.
One night, my husband was sick and could not get up and check the house for whatever noise I'd heard. While I hid most of my fear from him, nightly rounds through the house because I'd heard a noise were common. This one night, he was too sick to wake up. It was left to me to check the house. It took me an hour to check on the kids in their rooms then make my way downstairs. I started this trek down the stairs at 2:00 AM and ended up in the kitchen at 3:00 AM. I checked every door, every lock, every window, turning on all the lights as I passed them by.
Then, it was 3:15 AM, I was wide awake and scared out of my mind. I had no choice but to sit up all night for fear that my dreaded gunman would come because my husband was too sick to defend us. I sat up on the couch till 5:00 AM, totally alert and rigid, ready to protect my children from this awful gunman who would kill parents of babies and leave the babies alone for days.
At 5:00 AM, I thought it was finally safe to go to bed. After all, gunmen do their bloody work in the night. 5:00 AM is a safe hour. I crawled back into bed, expecting to get three hours of sleep before the kids would wake up.
But, sleep would not come. Instead, I had an extremely startling thought. "What if a gunman killed you; you'd be in Heaven with Jesus; what's so bad about that?"
Ack! No, no! I thought aloud, "I can't leave my children motherless!!"
My next thought, "What? God cannot care for your children? He is God, after all; they are His children."
My thought-conversation continued with, "But we are just human! How could my children endure this?"
Then this:
"I will now lay me down in peace and sleep, for, Thou, Lord, only makes me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
"Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither the desolation of the wicked, when it comes." Proverbs 3:25
My next thought, "I don't need my fear! This is totally unnecessary! Whoa!"
Grace.
I have never felt the fear since.
If someone had suggested to me that I needed to rid myself of that fear, I would not have listened nor taken them seriously.
If someone has told me that my fear was sin, I would have thought they were out of their mind.
If someone had told me I needed to pray about my fear, I would not have listened but would have thought they didn't know what they were talking about.
Only God can change a human heart.
No amount of persuasion would have taken my fear like grace did. In one fell swoop, with no fanfare, God, in His unthinkable, unstoppable grace, took my fear and I have lived free from it ever since.
This, my friends, is the living God we serve.
This, my friends, is what our God can do in your life, no matter what you are struggling against......or as it was with me, not struggling against anything at all. I didn't struggle with my fear. I just accepted it as part of me and had planned to live with it for the rest of my life.
God had better plans.
I had nothing whatsoever to do with it..
"It is God Who works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13.
Trust His grace.
No appointment necessary.
Read my full story here.
Praise be.
~Tricia
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Right Answer
The "right" answer is easy to give. When someone is constantly turning everything you say into a spiritual lesson, it's easy to give them their expected "right" answer because you know what they want to hear. They want to hear things that make them comfortable, that let them know you are on the right track in your spiritual growth (according to their expectations). They want answers that reflect their own decisions as if it will validate them and they can keep on feeling good about themselves and their own choices. Yep, giving the right answer is easy. I know the "right" answer every time. I know exactly what these people want to hear, which, to them, is the "right" answer. I know where they are going with their leading comments that have obvious hints of their own perceived spiritual status. Have you ever met someone like that?
I know the expected "right" answers, but I never give the "right" answers. I scold myself if I give the right answer by accident by going with the flow of a conversation. I prefer to give the real answers; the true answers, which are not always defined as "right" to these types of people.
Case in point: I recently met someone who seemed to be determined to make sure I knew all the "right" answers and give them to her when she demanded them through subtle hints in seemingly casual. conversation. But, alas, I had to throw her off. I could not bring myself to give her the expected "right" answers and it threw her into a bit of a tizzy and she wasn't quite sure what to do with me.
I do not and did not purposely go into any conversation with intent to challenge. Mostly, my responses were borne out of defense since the flavor of the conversations was continually challenging my own level of commitment and walk with the Lord. The underlying theme was simply that I was not measuring up. This approach is nothing short of spiritual abuse and I refuse to take part in that, let alone be a victim of such nonsense. Who has time for that when they are truly living for the Lord in the first place?
If/when you find yourself in a situation where you are being unjustly challenged, i.e. the challenge, itself, is given with the indication that you are clearly wrong and need constant correction, let me give you some pointers so that you don't have to fall victim to that.
- When the unjust challenge starts, remember that you do not answer to the person making the challenge, especially if it is someone you just met. If you have a consistent spiritual leader in your life who is offering the challenge, that's different, but these damaging challenges rarely come from people who are more closely involved in your life. The vast majority of the unjust challenges come from new people in your life who come across as though they have all the answers when you first meet them. So, you don't have to answer to them. You can either politely smile and thank them for their input or say something like, "Oh, aren't you clever!" and let it go at that.
- Your relationship with God is private. You are under no obligation whatsoever to share with anyone how often you pray, what you pray about, if you pray, when you pray, where you pray, etc. The Lord, Himself, is actually strong enough, wise enough and loving enough to draw you to prayer without some outside person setting an acceptable schedule and indicating that it's the only means of true spiritual acceptance.
- You do not have to be awkward in silence. Let their condemning words fall on the floor with an awkward silence so they feel the awkwardness and own it. You do not have to feel awkward or like you need to fill a silence left by a cutting remark. If they made the remark, they can own the silence. I was once at a retreat and the speaker was very condemning right from the start, telling us everything we do wrong all the time. I did not appreciate this as I had not done the things she was accusing me, and the entire audience of ladies, of. So, I didn't look at her much when she was talking to us. In the next session, she must have felt an awkward silence from the last one because she actually said, "Oh, ladies, did you know that if you do not look at me when I'm talking and make eye contact, I cannot see you?" And, I was thinking...."Hmmm, that's working for me!" Her attempts to lay guilt on us did not work on me.
- Be real. How you feel about a situation is ok. Just be real. Feeling a certain way, whether approved of or not, is just that - your feelings. God does not change with our feelings, but our feelings are real. His Truth remains the same and He is not afraid of our feelings because He knows they are just feelings. Take fear, for example. When someone is afraid, they are often admonished by other Christians that they "should not" feel that way. But, their fear is real and tangible and awful and all those things fear is, and now a Christian brother or sister has added guilt to their fear, making it worse. When I am afraid, I have learned from Scripture, that fear is normal, expected and already handled by our Almighty God. He remembers that we are dust; He KNOWS we are going to fear and does not even one time condemn us for our fear. Most Christians are afraid of real feelings so they tell us we "should not" feel that way. Quite frankly, I think we should feel most of the things we feel and be real about them.
You do not have to give the right answer to anyone. Give the real answer, instead. Tell them you are afraid and when they say, "Oh, you shouldn't be afraid," tell, them, "Oh, yes I should!" and feel what you feel. Just know that they are only feelings, they will pass, but our God is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb 13:8)
~Tricia
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A No Fear Strategy
Did you fear something this week? This month? This year? Have you felt any type of fear lately? Perhaps fear of going to a new place or meeting new people. Maybe you feared confronting someone with a problem. Maybe you feared as a result of watching a scary movie or being startled by something unexpected. Maybe you fear the future because things aren't going as you planned. I dare say, we humans fear in some way every single day.
I want you to think about fear for a minute. If I say, "Fear" to you, what is your first reaction? Maybe you feel guilty for having any fear. Maybe you're in denial and won't admit your fears. (I won't believe you.) Maybe you shy away from even the word for "fear" that you'll have to face your fear. Hmmm.
Let me tell you a few things about fear.
Fear is real.
Fear is not to be feared.
Fear wants to control you.
Fear causes unnecessary guilt.
Fear has already been conquered.
Think about fear in the Bible. When the angel came to Mary, the mother of Jesus, what's the first thing he said to her?
"Fear not..."
Why did he say that?
When the angels appeared to the shepherds the night of Jesus' birth, what did they say first?
"Fear not....."
Why go there? Who was even talking about fear?
Throughout Israel's history, what is one thing that God repeated to them over and over?
"Fear not....."
King David, the great warrior, prayed not to be relieved of his enemies, he prayed to be relieved of his fear of his enemies. This is huge.
Fear is not a planned response to anything. I highly doubt anyone wakes up in the morning and says, "Oh, I'm going to fear this and that today. I'm going to respond in fear to anything questionable that comes my way."
No! We don't do that. But we do fear. Fear is a reaction, not a planned response. Therefore, the guilt you may have that accompanies your fear is misplaced guilt. Guilt is actually part of fear and fear uses guilt as a vehicle to get a stronger hold on you.
Proverbs 3:25 says, "Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it comes."
Ok, for God to tell us to not be afraid of sudden fear, He's acknowledging that we have sudden fear. Our fears are never a surprise to our God. He also says, "when" not "if" it comes. Ok, then, there is no doubt; it's coming. And He tells us we don't have to be afraid of it when it does come. Talk about a great heads-up! Praise be.
If you're struggling with fear, and guilt as a result of your fear, struggle no more. Jesus Christ conquered fear on the cross of Calvary and HE tells us that we don't have to be afraid of fear. Fear, and all its trappings, is gone forever.
Praise be! Because of this, we can live fearlessly.
I've had a lot to fear in my life. Read my story of fear here and you will know exactly how God took my fear and why my fear has always been very afraid to return.
~Tricia
I want you to think about fear for a minute. If I say, "Fear" to you, what is your first reaction? Maybe you feel guilty for having any fear. Maybe you're in denial and won't admit your fears. (I won't believe you.) Maybe you shy away from even the word for "fear" that you'll have to face your fear. Hmmm.
Let me tell you a few things about fear.
Fear is real.
Fear is not to be feared.
Fear wants to control you.
Fear causes unnecessary guilt.
Fear has already been conquered.
Think about fear in the Bible. When the angel came to Mary, the mother of Jesus, what's the first thing he said to her?
"Fear not..."
Why did he say that?
When the angels appeared to the shepherds the night of Jesus' birth, what did they say first?
"Fear not....."
Why go there? Who was even talking about fear?
Throughout Israel's history, what is one thing that God repeated to them over and over?
"Fear not....."
King David, the great warrior, prayed not to be relieved of his enemies, he prayed to be relieved of his fear of his enemies. This is huge.
Fear is not a planned response to anything. I highly doubt anyone wakes up in the morning and says, "Oh, I'm going to fear this and that today. I'm going to respond in fear to anything questionable that comes my way."
No! We don't do that. But we do fear. Fear is a reaction, not a planned response. Therefore, the guilt you may have that accompanies your fear is misplaced guilt. Guilt is actually part of fear and fear uses guilt as a vehicle to get a stronger hold on you.
Proverbs 3:25 says, "Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it comes."
Ok, for God to tell us to not be afraid of sudden fear, He's acknowledging that we have sudden fear. Our fears are never a surprise to our God. He also says, "when" not "if" it comes. Ok, then, there is no doubt; it's coming. And He tells us we don't have to be afraid of it when it does come. Talk about a great heads-up! Praise be.
If you're struggling with fear, and guilt as a result of your fear, struggle no more. Jesus Christ conquered fear on the cross of Calvary and HE tells us that we don't have to be afraid of fear. Fear, and all its trappings, is gone forever.
Praise be! Because of this, we can live fearlessly.
I've had a lot to fear in my life. Read my story of fear here and you will know exactly how God took my fear and why my fear has always been very afraid to return.
~Tricia
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Reverential Respect?
Lately, I've heard the use of the phrase "reverential respect" when people are attempting to describe their "fear" of the Lord. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not enough! I have reverential respect for a number of people. I would say I have that for several preachers and pastors that I know. I would describe my feelings as reverential respect for the president, for our state officials and lawmakers. But the Lord, God Almighty? Reverential respect? Are you kidding me? Nah. I have fear. Outright, undeniable, indescribable, bone-chilling fear. I don't have a leg to stand on in His presence, and neither does anyone else.
Daniel, that great prophet who was described by God, Himself, as one who was beloved and righteous, quaked in fear before the presence of just the angel of the Lord. In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel describes himself as "without strength" and "trembling" and "vigor turned to frailty"......fear. He feared this angel of the Lord - and that was just an angel of the Lord, not the Lord, God Almighty Himself! Daniel was without strength until the angel actually touched him and that touch strengthened him. Read Daniel chapter 10 and makes notes about Daniel's responses.
We want to talk about and dwell on the love of God - after all, He loved us enough to send His only Son to die for us. However, He sent Christ to die because that was the only satisfaction for His holiness. There was no other way to appease Him for our sin. Not only did He show mercy by giving us a Solution for our sin, He sacrificed Himself to make that Solution a reality for us. Mercy. Love. Compassion. Grace. Salvation. He is the Author of it all. Reverential respect does not do it justice. The only One Who is able to justify us requires much, much more than reverential respect.
What if He came to your house today? What if the Lord, God Almighty stopped you on your way somewhere? What if He came to your job? Don't expect me to believe that you'd be swooning with reverential respect.......ah, no. You'd be prostrate on your face in fear, without a leg to stand on, trembling, quaking, hoping beyond hope that you could gather the strength to run and hide......
...............until He touches you.
Even then, reverential respect doesn't do it justice.
The fear is turned to awe ................and we are silent from a mix of fear and awe and absolute wonder. Nah, I see no reverential respect here. That phrase minimizes His holy righteousness and that has repercussions that no one can live with.
~Tricia
Daniel, that great prophet who was described by God, Himself, as one who was beloved and righteous, quaked in fear before the presence of just the angel of the Lord. In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel describes himself as "without strength" and "trembling" and "vigor turned to frailty"......fear. He feared this angel of the Lord - and that was just an angel of the Lord, not the Lord, God Almighty Himself! Daniel was without strength until the angel actually touched him and that touch strengthened him. Read Daniel chapter 10 and makes notes about Daniel's responses.
We want to talk about and dwell on the love of God - after all, He loved us enough to send His only Son to die for us. However, He sent Christ to die because that was the only satisfaction for His holiness. There was no other way to appease Him for our sin. Not only did He show mercy by giving us a Solution for our sin, He sacrificed Himself to make that Solution a reality for us. Mercy. Love. Compassion. Grace. Salvation. He is the Author of it all. Reverential respect does not do it justice. The only One Who is able to justify us requires much, much more than reverential respect.
What if He came to your house today? What if the Lord, God Almighty stopped you on your way somewhere? What if He came to your job? Don't expect me to believe that you'd be swooning with reverential respect.......ah, no. You'd be prostrate on your face in fear, without a leg to stand on, trembling, quaking, hoping beyond hope that you could gather the strength to run and hide......
...............until He touches you.
Even then, reverential respect doesn't do it justice.
The fear is turned to awe ................and we are silent from a mix of fear and awe and absolute wonder. Nah, I see no reverential respect here. That phrase minimizes His holy righteousness and that has repercussions that no one can live with.
~Tricia
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Bold Faith
I've been thinking about the bold faith of a friend of mine recently and every single time I think about it, I'm even more amazed. This friend of mine purposely provokes people to think about Jesus Christ. He's relentless; he provokes people ON PURPOSE! He said to me once, "Oh, I've been provoking my brother-in-law with the Gospel and I will keep on provoking him." Can you imagine? He's not from the US, so I have to wonder if that's why he's so bold. In his country, is boldness more required? Or is it a case of reception, i.e. how he's received? Do people condemn him, start rumors about him, shun him, or lie about him because of his boldness? In the US, that's what often happens when we speak boldly about the Gospel and provoke anyone. It has happened to me and I wasn't even purposely provoking anyone!
Here in the US, we don't provoke people. Oh, a preacher might - from his pulpit. My husband has had people walk out on his preaching more than once because of his bold, direct message. Yet, he continues to preach the whole council of God, with or without the hearers' approval. But, as a general rule, the vast majority of the Christians I know don't purposely provoke people. When people don't receive our message, we tend to tone it down to make it more palatable.
The main reason we don't provoke people seems to be fear. We fear rejection. We fear being labeled. We fear losing a relationship. We fear. Ok, I get fear. Fear runs rampant. We tolerate even heresy within the church because of fear. Is our fear bigger than our burden? Oh, I hope not!
Most people don't think there's heresy within the church. I see it all the time, however. I see it when a preacher promotes a political agenda rather than a Gospel agenda. I see it when major doctrinal heresy is tolerated in the church in the name of "Christian" love. If we first love Christ, we will not tolerate or allow false doctrine within the church. We will stand against it, not openly tolerate it. Is it hard to speak out? As my fellow Minnesotans would say, "You betcha!" But, as hard as it is, it's necessary for the Gospel message to get out and remain pure.
I recall once when a lady in a Sunday School class stated, as part of a discussion, "Well, it doesn't have to be all about Jesus all the time!" I was shocked at a statement like that, but didn't say anything.....(fear). A couple of weeks later, she repeated the same thing and that time, I did not stay quiet.
I said, "Yes, it is all about Jesus, all the time. If it isn't, we can all just go home now." The lady who spoke out was not happy with me. My boldness for pure doctrine cost me that relationship; she walked away. So be it. Another time, a lady stood up and said, "We need to set aside the Word of God and love one another." At the time, I said nothing, but the next morning, I called her on the phone to clarify what she said. I thought certainly she didn't realize what she had just said, or that I had surely heard wrong. Well, not only did she reiterate what she said the night before, she got even bolder about it! So, I knew where she stood.......she set aside God's Word. Was I bold for calling her on it? You betcha! Did I have a choice? I don't think so. Does someone who truly knows Jesus Christ openly and intentionally set aside His Word? Oh, my. She desperately needs the Gospel.
So, that is why I will continue to be bold. Plus, on the day when I meet Him face to face, I won't be ashamed - at least of that. I truly admire my bold friend and hope that I can follow his example and step it up.
~Tricia
Here in the US, we don't provoke people. Oh, a preacher might - from his pulpit. My husband has had people walk out on his preaching more than once because of his bold, direct message. Yet, he continues to preach the whole council of God, with or without the hearers' approval. But, as a general rule, the vast majority of the Christians I know don't purposely provoke people. When people don't receive our message, we tend to tone it down to make it more palatable.
The main reason we don't provoke people seems to be fear. We fear rejection. We fear being labeled. We fear losing a relationship. We fear. Ok, I get fear. Fear runs rampant. We tolerate even heresy within the church because of fear. Is our fear bigger than our burden? Oh, I hope not!
Most people don't think there's heresy within the church. I see it all the time, however. I see it when a preacher promotes a political agenda rather than a Gospel agenda. I see it when major doctrinal heresy is tolerated in the church in the name of "Christian" love. If we first love Christ, we will not tolerate or allow false doctrine within the church. We will stand against it, not openly tolerate it. Is it hard to speak out? As my fellow Minnesotans would say, "You betcha!" But, as hard as it is, it's necessary for the Gospel message to get out and remain pure.
I recall once when a lady in a Sunday School class stated, as part of a discussion, "Well, it doesn't have to be all about Jesus all the time!" I was shocked at a statement like that, but didn't say anything.....(fear). A couple of weeks later, she repeated the same thing and that time, I did not stay quiet.
I said, "Yes, it is all about Jesus, all the time. If it isn't, we can all just go home now." The lady who spoke out was not happy with me. My boldness for pure doctrine cost me that relationship; she walked away. So be it. Another time, a lady stood up and said, "We need to set aside the Word of God and love one another." At the time, I said nothing, but the next morning, I called her on the phone to clarify what she said. I thought certainly she didn't realize what she had just said, or that I had surely heard wrong. Well, not only did she reiterate what she said the night before, she got even bolder about it! So, I knew where she stood.......she set aside God's Word. Was I bold for calling her on it? You betcha! Did I have a choice? I don't think so. Does someone who truly knows Jesus Christ openly and intentionally set aside His Word? Oh, my. She desperately needs the Gospel.
So, that is why I will continue to be bold. Plus, on the day when I meet Him face to face, I won't be ashamed - at least of that. I truly admire my bold friend and hope that I can follow his example and step it up.
~Tricia
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