Shrank Back

 "I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the many trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes." Acts 20:13-38
 
"Why are you happy all the time?" Sadly, it's not every day someone asks you that question, at least me anyway. I'd love to tell you that my answer was bold and unapologetic, a passion filled testimony of God's wonderful work in my life. However, to do so would be inaccurate. No, it would be a lie. I mumbled something about how staying positive helps the time pass ... blah, blah, blah. No Good News about Jesus. No follow-up questions for him. It was a total swing and a miss. The coach put me in, but I wasn't prepared. 
 
The leaders of the church in Ephesus had been blessed to be with the apostle Paul up close and personal. They heard him preach. They watched him work. They saw him suffer. They heard his prayers cried out with tears. Never did he hesitate to tell them or anyone else for that matter what they needed to hear. His love for Jesus was supreme. Life and death were of no concern to him. He had been rescued. He had been given his assignment. An assignment, from which, he would never shrink back. 
 
How deep is our love for Jesus today? There seems to be a very strong connection between the answer to that question and our willingness to effectively, respectfully and humbly give an answer for the hope that we have when the opportunity presents itself. We must be prepared to tell. Preparation begins with a heart that is completely saturated with a love for Jesus. Without it, the telling is a fearful chore that rarely if ever results in a celebration in heaven. 

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