A Burden Bigger Than Fear

I recently finished listening to the audio book Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, and it’s what I've been thinking on a lot lately. Teen years aren't for sitting around doing nothing with your life. Teens have this mind set, that the years before they graduate are years that you should get to party, have fun, take the easy road, wasting there time away, and having absolutely no responsibility. Adolesense is a myth, America has a totally messed up thought process about teens. Teens now have no responsibility, and they think when they graduate responsibly will be a natural thing that will hit them like a ton of bricks. I’m not saying that we shouldn't have fun. But who said doing hard things and having responsibility, and learning new things that take you out of you comfort zone aren't fun. Yeah, sometimes it’s not fun but if you don’t do some hard stuff you won’t get anywhere. Teens should be more involved in stuff that matters. Christians especially should be doing hard things and trying to further the kingdom of God. Getting involved with your church and witnessing to people, mission trips, nursing homes, bible clubs, passing out tracks, and different stuff like that. You could get out of you comfort zone by witnessing to a complete stranger. I have a really big fear of talking to people I don’t know, but, with a ton of courage and help from God, I've stated telling complete strangers about Jesus. For me, my purpose is bigger than my fear. God has given me a burden for people’s lost souls and a purpose for sharing the gospel with them that’s bigger than my fear, and utter lack of talent of talking to people. Billy Sunday said, “More people fail from lack of purpose than lack of talent.” 1 Corinthians 9:16 says, “For I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” God had given me a hunger for telling people about Him, and it’s getting bigger. I've witnessed to several people so far, none of which I knew at all. The last I think made the biggest impact on me.

 I’ll tell you the story. It was Sunday after church and we were going to the grocery store. I knew we were going before church so I was asking God to show me who He wanted me to talk to. As I was walking through the store, I kept asking Him to show me the person. Then at the back of the store stacking refrigerated biscuits on the shelf of preservative filled food, was the most depressing looking guy I’d ever seen. We locked eyes for a split second and right then is when God told me, “Him. You have to talk to him. ”This guy had black hair and was wearing black eye liner. Definitely the kind of guy I would try to avoid. So, I tried to tell God I couldn't talk to him because he looked weird, but I knew that wasn't a good excuse. There were two other guys working nearby, and I tried to tell God that I would talk to them instead, but God wasn't taking that either. I finally said no to God and started walking away. I felt awful. I made it to the other end of the store, and I guess I got a glimpse of what Jonah probably felt like when he said no to God. I finally told God I would talk to him, but I was going to need Him to really help me a lot, because it was hard for me to talk to that guy. I couldn't do it on my own. Nervous and beginning to shake, I walked back to the back of the store and walked up to Isaac (I later found out) and asked him if I could ask him a question. He said yes, and then I popped the question, “If you died today, where would you go?” I shared the whole gospel with him. At the end those two other guys came over and I tried to talk to them too, but they kind of just laughed. But they were really laughing at God not me. It’s funny that the guys I wanted to talk to laughed, but the guy God wanted me to talk to didn't  God has helped me grow so much since I surrendered my life when I was 15. If you would have told me I‘d be doing something like that I wouldn't have believed you. I serve a mighty God, and just because we’re teens doesn't mean we can’t do anything hard. Let your faith be bigger than your fear, because we all know that God is bigger than any fear.