Terrifying yet vital

~Tuesday Thoughts~

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

This is a terrifying verse. I'm on a mission trip at the moment, and this is one of the verses that we were supposed to really apply to our lives in preparation and during the trip. 

I (think) I am getting better at briefly mentioning that I am a Christian. For example, people ask me where I'm from and I say, "My parents are missionaries in [country]." Or to "What did you do this weekend?," I can answer, "I did homework, worked, spent time with a friend or two, went to church." When asked where I work, I say that one of my jobs is in the nursery at church. All of these are true, and I love bringing up Christianity in this nonchalant way. 

However, openly discussing the good news of Christ and why we need His love - that seems terrifying to me. But it is such a vital skill to learn. I am hoping that, throughout this week, I get better and better at doing this. Something that has been encouraging is that the leaders say that even for them this was hard at first. But you get used to it with practice. Not that they're perfect at this business, but that it really takes practice to get better, to feel less awkward, to get bolder*. 

And it for sure takes God's strength.

How about you guys? Are you scared by the idea of sharing God's Word with others or do you feel more comfortable with it? Do you have any stories of you sharing it that you'd like to share?

*I am speaking of the good kind of bold. I am NOT encouraging being bold and coming off as rude and obnoxious to anyone you pass.