Let us not shrink back.

I recently came across this quote from Nelson Mandela and thought about how often I do not push forward in faith because I am worried about what others will think… The line in my head runs something like, [take deep breath] “If I pray on my knees in front of everyone (or fill in about 1000 other things) then they will think that I am trying to be some super spiritual person and I know that I am not really that spiritual of a person I am a sinner just like everyone else but I would like to be on my knees because isn’t that where sinful people belong but if I get on my knees then everyone else is going to think that I think that they aren’t spiritual since they aren’t on their knees and I would rather not make them uncomfortable after all if they’re thinking about me being on my knees then that means they aren’t thinking about praying nevermind the fact that I am not thinking about praying because I am thinking about them thinking about praying while I should be praying anyways if I start praying on my knees now during prayer then I am only going to think about what they’re thinking about more…”

Sad, I know… but unfortunately that is the lame thinking that rolls through my head at times. But recently in talking with a new friend (Jason) here in Pittsburgh about this desire to be great, but at the same time shrinking away from it because I don’t want others to feel insecure he pointed this Nelson Mandela quote out to me that I wanted to share…
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4.18-4.22

[youversion]Matthew 4:18-4:22[/youversion] | So we pick back up with Jesus selecting his first disciples. We cannot miss how crucial this is to the “good news” story Matthew is telling us. Jesus calls two sets of brothers to leave everything they are pouring their lives into and come follow him. So maybe leaving behind a life of bad sunburns and only dating girls who have lost their sense of smell isn’t that hard, but maybe leaving behind everything you have worked for up to this point in your so-so (c’mon you know being a fisherman is only so-so) life would be a challenge. But these four guys lose their fish-sticks over a chance to follow the Messiah. Somehow they have gotten word that this man is worth more than what they are currently giving their lives to. They don’t understand the amazingness that following this man will get them into or what it will cost them… but they follow.
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3.4-4.17

[youversion]Matthew 3:4-4:17[/youversion] | So John is out in the desert baptizing his followers when a bunch of Pharisees and Sadducees (the religious folk) come out to see what is happening. John basically rebukes them for walking around as though they are the righteous when God is condemning and bringing judgment on the very system they lead. John goes so far as to call them a “brood of vipers”. Now you have to understand this is some major verbal judo for these people. Think about it…

brood=children | vipers=serpents | satan is the serpent.

It’s basically like John is calling these people (who believe they are the children of God) the children of Satan. This is not the side of the battle you want to find yourself on.
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