I have started this sentence over enough times. I am trying to find that perfect intro to transition into the thoughts that I want to share. I started writing about Tuesday morning prayer. Next, then how Tuesday morning is better than Monday morning and then about my new strange breakfast combo, coffee and popcorn. None of these introductions were particularly relevant and were all slightly lame. Perhaps I can blame it on 9:30am bloggers block. Then as I am writing this equally lame introduction paragraph I had my "ah ha" moment. This lack of coming up with a clever introduction to my blog does relate to what I read in My Utmost for His Highest today. Instead of bloggers block Oswald Chambers does write about working to prevent having a "Sharing Christ" block.
Chambers challenged his readers to work on expressing well our beliefs. He wrote "If you don't, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth"(December 15th entry). In the second paragraph he writes "Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study". (Is he trying to say that to study is to suffer? =) ). I like this line because our faith and beliefs in Christ need to belong to us. If we don't understand why we believe what we believe and if we don't own them as our own then when the time comes to share Christ with others we will find that we have "Sharing Christ" block.
I loved my time at Vanguard University for many reasons. One of my favorite parts of Vanguard were my Bible and Mission classes. These classes gave me the perfect opportunity to study God's word and to further my understanding of my beliefs. When you understand what you believe and why you believe it you don't need to feel threatened when someone challenges your faith in Christ. The maturity we find in Christ will allow us to be "a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool" because "you never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth".(2 Timothy 24- 16 The Message Version).
I want to encourage you as Chambers encourages his readers to know how to express your beliefs. Chambers even suggest rehearsing your words. So, not only do we need to know what we believe and why we believe it, but need to know how to express it in words! I pray that you and I will not find ourselves with "Christ Sharing" block, but with the ability to speak truth lovingly and clearly! So, today make sure you know, understand and are able to express the essentials of what you believe. After all you never know what meetings God has ordained for your day. =)
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