Have you ever been in a group conversation with friends or family and somebody mentioned God or quoted the Bible and everyone went silent? The conversation seemed to end and you could feel the tension till someone else changed the subject. This has happened to me many times since I became a follower of Jesus many years ago. Why is it that nobody wants to talk about God outside the protection of church walls when in the presence of those who need to hear it the most? Are we scared of offending people more so than we are concerned about their spiritual well being?
It’s easy to share our thoughts with those who share the same basic beliefs as we do; to give a testimony or share a lesson we’ve learned, but do we share the same information with those who don’t believe as we do? Surely, we’re not ashamed of what Jesus would have us say.
Several years ago, when my kids were teenagers, they often had friends over and sometimes the conversation did not involve things I liked to hear. On one of those days, I heard someone use a term too many used then and even more use today that I especially don’t like. “Why do you use words like that?” I asked them? “There are perfectly good words that mean the same thing and do not sound offensive. For example: ‘It makes me mad,’ means the same thing as, ‘it ….es me off.’ So, why not just say, it makes me mad?”
Some of them laughed and looked at me uncomfortably, while others decided it was time to leave, but while I had the attention of some, I went on to tell them how John Wayne never used words like that in all the movies he made. If he was mad he simply said, “That makes me mad,” or usually, he didn’t even have to say it, you knew he was mad by the look on his face. I told them it is important how you present yourself to the world and how God hears every word they say. Never mind offending me, or anybody else, but try never to offend God, by the things you say or do. God is the one we’ll have to answer to. I told them how they would be the ones running our country someday and they need to be making good decisions and trying to make this world a better place, not filling it with filth and nasty words.
Needless to say, the kids all decided by then that it was tme to leave …all but one. A young lady I hadn’t seen in my house before, stayed behind and told me she appreciated what I had said and she had some questions…about God and becoming a Christian. She told me her dad had been talking to her about it, and she just wasn’t sure what to believe. I answered her questions as best I could and asked God to help her make the right decision.
My daughter and her best friend had come back inside to get something and were chatting as they left. Her friend was saying, “It just”…she looked at me. “It makes me mad!” she said, and we all laughed.
As for the young lady who’d had questions, I never saw her again, but pray she has since decided to follow Jesus.
It just goes to show us: we can never give up or quit telling our kids and others how important it is to have God in our lives. Though some may be offended or have no interest in hearing about Jesus, somebody’s listening…and your words might be just what they need to hear to help them decide to accept Christ as their Savior.
Psalm 31: 1 In thee o Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
Romans 1: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.
