Finish the Fight
What makes you nervous? Guys from my generation and even a little younger can relate to picking up the rotary phone to call a girl for the first time, intending to inquire about a possible date in high school. Rotary phones added to the suspense and anxiety. Often there were a series of practice dialings of the number, chickening out and hanging up before it actually rang—rehearsing the opening line once again to make sure the voice didn’t crack when you identified yourself after she said, “Hello?” Now, kids can opt for a quick text and spare themselves much of the agony we had to endure as we listened to the painfully slow sound of the dial rewinding after we selected each number, knowing that the final one would connect you to her voice on the other end, or worse, perhaps her parent’s voice. Nonetheless, heart pounding, with trembling hand, either you completed the task, or forever wondered what might have been.
So why all the symptoms of fear when simply seeking a brief conversation with another human being? Why the sweaty palms, pounding heart, tingly skin and irregular breathing? After all, we’re not talking about facing the President or a major celebrity. Though very attractive, you consider this person nice enough, potentially accepting of you enough, to risk asking out on a date. The worst that could happen is she says “No thanks,” and maybe giggles a bit. Yes, rejection is tough. Or, the conversation may actually result in a date, perhaps a lasting relationship, an eventual engagement, marriage and kids! Okay, maybe you have good reason to be nervous. There’s a lot on the line with this phone call! But, with the exception of asking your future spouse out on a first date, it’s sort of ridiculous that we get so nervous and intimidated about talking to fellow humans.
Jesus knew that we might shy away from talking to people because we care too much about what they might think of us. In fact, He knew we might allow the fear of other people’s opinions keep us from telling them about Him. He knew that when one found oneself in a situation where there might be a clear opportunity to speak up concerning ones faith in Christ, one might opt to stay quiet, in effect denying Him when we could declare Him. In those situations, a choice to declare Him might cause symptoms akin to dialing the phone for that first date described earlier. Again, rejection is tough. However, we convince ourselves that, unlike potentially sacrificing a future with a spouse and family, if we don’t fight past our fear, not speaking up about Jesus carries no real downside for the future of the believer. We think we’ll be just fine whether we speak up or not! So, why should we torture ourselves with the painful side effects of saying something? But, there are worse things than humans thinking less of you for speaking up about your faith. There are worse things than human rejection.
Because Jesus knew human nature so well and He knew He wouldn’t be a favored entity with which to be associated, He had to warn us, “…whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33). You see, the One through Whom we were created was familiar with people’s propensity to proclaim the popular and disavow the despised. Jesus and His followers were despised in the First Century. One took one’s life into one’s hands if he or she did not deny Christ. Although we have not quite gotten to the point where standing for Christ in our country is a matter of life or death, we are seeing more overt rejections of Christ by larger factions of our society. Even in this Judeo-Christian rooted nation, one can get pretty tense at the thought of speaking out on behalf of the Savior.
But, whose opinion do you value most? That is the question. We will ultimately answer to the One with Whom we hope to spend eternity. People who hear our testimony about Him can hurl insults, or in many places in the world, arrest, even go so far as to kill us. However, only He holds sway over our eternal souls. I think I’ll go with Jesus when it comes to judging what I choose, or don’t choose, to say, sweaty palms and all! Besides, the upside is, for the one who doesn’t chicken out, He promised, “I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
“…keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” —1 Timothy 6:14