Hiding the Cure

A year ago, while taking care of some errands, I ran into a guy that I knew. Around the same age as me, we have grown up together because he lives right next to my family (which, for the record, isn’t that close here in the country!). So we got into conversation, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, he was saying, “I don’t really believe all of that God stuff. I mean, that’s great if some people want to believe it, but really we’re just all on our own.” WHAT? My line of thought in precisely the next two seconds ran like this:
How can you turn your back on all that you’ve been raised to believe? How can you not acknowledge the miracle that your younger brother, who got into a tragic car accident a few months ago, who was in a coma for weeks, who had major head injuries, who was predicted to never fully recover or regain full mental capacity is now not only alive, but thriving and back to his normal, pre-accident self? What are you thinking!
However, my line of speech was sorely lacking. You see, I wanted to say something; I knew I should say something! This was one of the first times God had ever “dropped” an opportunity like this into my lap…and I blew it. I decided against saying anything because I didn’t want to “offend” him, and I have regretted that decision ever since. It was a horrible choice, no different from Peter denying Jesus or a cold, callous bystander who has not the courage to rescue a drowning soul. I was that person! I am ashamed of my lack of action on that day.
However, God has been working on my life; He will not leave me alone in this area, and consequently, I’ve been learning a lot. I have had two opportunities to witness in the last month—two times where someone expressly asked my thoughts—and I spoke what the Holy Spirit gave me. I have a friend who brought a friend to Christ and has been sharing her victories while inspiring me. Moreover, every other verse in the Scripture right now seems to scream, “Save dying souls!” When God pursues, He does not give up, does He?
I Thessalonians 2:4 says, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” God has entrusted me with such a huge treasure—not because I am any better than the next person is, but because of His sovereign will. How could I then live to please men rather than God? How could I then hide my light under a bushel? How could I be ashamed of the Gospel?
But I was. Nevertheless, I am determined that, by the grace of God, it shall not happen again. There is a world out there that is drowning as I write this; let’s speak, not to please men, but to please God, because His is the only opinion that matters.