unashamed Christianity

This is a very honest post, so please try to take it with the most love as I’ve intended to write it.

Yesterday, my husband took me out for Pizza, which I loved because it has been almost 3 months since we’ve had it.

While we were out on our date we were reflecting on what we thought were “mistakes” we had made as teenagers when it came to preaching the Gospel. Mistakes of being too “bible preachy” or too “you need to get saved because” preachy. Or too “that action is right because” preachy… Those were times in both of our lives where we were labeled “Jesus Freaks” and or “Bible Thumpers.” And slowly the pain of fear and rejection crept in. At least in my life, I had few ‘true’ friends, few people who loved my enthusiasm, and few people that wanted to befriend me because of it. I was completely “alone” at times, completely felt like just God, Jesus and me, at times.

As I grew older and new ideas of gospel preaching came into my life, I honestly can say, I grew ashamed of those times when it seems when I was “too preachy.”

And as Carl and I reflected on these moments of our lives I said to him, “I have never been so fearless, so unashamed of my faith, so relentless in my pursuit for the truth of the gospel to be spread, as I was when I was a teenager.” I want that back.

What is wrong with being a “Jesus Freak” or even a “Bible Thumper” as long as one is still living there life and being them in love. Jesus flat out rebuked the Pharisees with Scripture, and the Apostles certainly didn’t stop preaching when they were told not to. They didn’t always wait for someone to ask them why they were doing, or living the way they were, they just did it, totally uninvited at times. They went places where they were not welcomed and every one of them died, and or ended up in prison for it.

Yet today, we’re told that we’re out of step, we do not love if we preach where we’re not wanted. Let people come to you and ask you when they’re ready. But if they don’t ever know that they have a need how will they ever ask?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t respect people and leave them be if they make it clear they aren’t interested and I’m not saying we should just carelessly tell people they need Jesus without ever listening to their hearts. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t delve deeper into people’s lives and try to build loving relationships.

But what’s with all the waiting?

Jesus did not wait for people to come to him.

Neither did the Apostles?

They never stopped preaching to make people feel comfortable first.

They didn’t just serve them and not preach.

And they didn’t just preach and not serve them.

Yet “Jesus Freaks” and “Bible Thumpers.” Our looked down upon as shameful Christians even to some Christians.

Yet, the Apostles were both.

But maybe I have a different definition of a “Jesus Freak” and “Bible Thumpers” than some.

The bible says that the Gospel will be to some death and to others a sweet fragrance. And likewise so will the people who preach it.

So if that is true why do we try to change so much to make people like us first? Why do we have too let them ask us first before we say anything? Why do we have to try to not be offensive when we will be even if we try not too?

Now don’t take me wrong there always needs to be love, and love in the midst of everything we do because if we have not love, and we do not love we’re nothing but a clanging symbol. But where is the love in not sharing the gospel with someone and they slip into an eternity forever separated from God.

No physical act of love to someone will keep them from that fate if we never tell them the gospel because they didn’t ask for us to.

I just know that I’m not quite hitting the mark, and other Christians aren’t either... but I need to find a balance though.

Because as I’ve already said before…

“I have never been so fearless, so unashamed of my faith, so relentless in my pursuit for the truth of the gospel to be spread, as I was when I was a teenager.”

And I want that back.