I would rather be in a chair listening than teaching tonight. The subject matter is a difficult one. The truth is tough tonight. There is no sugar coating it. No soft peddling. It would be easier to skip the truth and move onto to an easier topic. It would be more pleasant for everyone in the room if someone else was teaching a different topic and I was seated in a chair listening.
God called me to be a truth teller. He also called me preach and teach His word. All of it. Even the parts that are hard to digest and harder to explain. I will be the most uncomfortable person in the room. I will stand on God's word and deal with the consequences. I will not be winning any popularity contest tonight. Neither will I wimp out.
Preachers often sidestep difficult passages. They don't want to ruffle any feathers. They prefer passages that pacify as opposed to verses that vex hearers. We need all of God's word. The parts that edify, build up, and inspire. We also need those truths that challenge, convict, and correct.
Still, it would be easier to sit in the chair to listen. Let some other squirm under the intense weight of truth tonight. Nonetheless, this is the assignment I've been given. To teach truth in love. To teach with conviction and compassion. To instruct with grit and grace. It is not something I want to avoid nor something I necessarily look forward to teaching. It must be done. It is God's word. It is the next section of scriptures in a book I've been teaching through for the past six months. I shall not abdicate my God ordained responsibility. God, please help me honor you and your word, while at the same time, ministering with love, compassion, and grace.
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