If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. -1 Peter 3:13-16 (The Message)
Whether of not you are a football fan or watch the Super Bowl, you may have heard about the controversy surrounding a Super Bowl commercial by Focus on the Family. The ad features college football star Tim Tebow and his mother sharing the story about Tim’s birth. Doctors urged Tim’s mother to have an abortion. She chose not to.
Today, I read an article about Tebow on ESPN.com. It is a well written article praising Tebow for his courage regardless of whether or not one agrees with him. It would have been a whole lot easier for Tim to do the typical endorsements, make millions and not have to deal with the criticism he is sure to face. He could have still maintained his faith, but life would have been easier. Discipleship isn’t easy though.
I think Tim gets the 1 Peter passage. I wonder if we do. I’ll be the first to confess that while I want to do the right thing, I don’t often want to do the hard thing. I don’t like it when people throw mud at me.
This morning, a small group of people met to begin fleshing out plans for evangelism in March and to think about long range plans for outreach and evangelism. Any plan moving forward has to start with us as individuals believing we do indeed have hope to offer the world. If you don’t believe it, you are not compelled to share it. Chris Tomlin sings:
“There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city”
Do you believe this? If so, how will you respond to God? Will you plan to be at the Refresh Revival services February 23-25 at Tallowood? Will you plan to participate in the Refuge Prayer Journey prior to each service in order to prepare your heart? Will you participate in a prayer walk in Tallowood’s neighborhood on March 6th? Will you be involved in other evangelism efforts in March and beyond? If you are not able to do these things, what will you do? Who knows what God will accomplish with hearts committed to His Glory?