Speaking up in spite of

Like everyone else in the world I have an opinion, and I am one of those people who is not afraid to voice his opinion, sometimes at inappropriate moments. Over the years I've toned it down a bit with God's help (and with the assistance of a godly wife) so that I don't come across nearly as much as that guy who is always trying to pick a fight. Now if I speak up, it's usually because I truly believe that something needs to be said. Not always, but usually.

I wish I could say the same about speaking up for Jesus.

Let me paint for you a picture of how I wish that I was when it comes to my Lord. Acts 14:8-22 recalls part of the ministry of the apostle Paul and Barnabas as they travel across the region then known as Asia. They enter a town called Lystra where Paul heals a man who had been lame since birth. The people of the town immediately believe that Paul and Barnabas are Hermes and Zeus, two of the gods they worship, and they start to worship them and to offer sacrifice. Paul and Barnabas vigorously try to dissuade them from doing this, all the while trying to point them to the living God who is the true God, but they were not having much success. Then in a weird twist of events, antagonistic Jews from Antioch and Iconium, two towns that Paul and Barnabas previously ministered in, were able to manipulate the crowds. The next thing you know they stoned Paul and dumped his body outside of the city believing him to be dead.

Here's where the story gets even crazier: "After the disciples surrounded him (Paul), he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe." Are you kidding me? Not only did Paul stand up after being pummeled with rocks but he went back into the same city where his life was almost lost. What a complete stud! Then, after he and Barnabas ministered in Derbe, they came back through Lystra to strengthen the hearts of the disciples they had made their and to encourage them to persevere through the many troubles they will ultimately encounter for God's kingdom.

I don't have too many heroes in my life, but Paul is most certainly one of them. Truth be told, if you expel me from your city and almost kill me in the process, the chances of me licking my wounds and coming right back in are slim to none. Yet here is Paul, unashamed and resolute in his faith, willing to die just so that the name of Jesus can be made famous. If I may be transparent hiding behind a computer keyboard, I have to admit that I most often speak of my Jesus with those who share that same love of Him, not with those who don't. The example of Scripture is clear: Jesus is risky. It's not a safe endeavor to speak on His behalf and the chances are high that proclaiming His name will cost you something. Yet in spite of the inherent dangers involved, how can we be silent when it comes to our Jesus?