I say this, and often fall into it myself. I feel I should talk to a person, but do not in fear of rejection or of being ridiculed.
Philippians 1:29 - "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him."
It is easy to be granted to believe in Him... but to be granted to suffer for Him?
Why does that sound so bad to us? Why do we fear this so much? Why do we worry about other people over what God teaches us? Essentially are we could ask ourselves, what do we love more, God's will or the world's opinion?
Matthew 5:10 says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Why not be persecuted?
To often, - and I am also very guilty of this - we forget how small we are, and how short our time is here one earth.
Someone told me something very significant once and said, "If you have committed your life to Christ, hasn't your eternity already started?" I think that this is very true. We are a "new creation, the old life has gone and the new life has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We need to be radical.
We need to be on fire.
Revelations 3:15-18 says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
Not being 'hot' for God, yet calling ourselves a Christian is repulsive to God. We are things like wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. How are we not ashamed of this? And if we are ashamed - which we should be, - what are we going to do about it?
