Beyond Boldness!

When I was in Albania doing mission work last summer, the Lord gave me Jeremiah 1:4-10 to read everyday before I went out to share Jesus' Love! This passage says:

"Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the Nations.'
Then I said, 'Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak for I am only a youth.'
But the Lord said to me,
'Do not say I am only a youth;
for to all whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,declares the Lord.'
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,
'Behold, I have put words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant."

I have a fear of sharing the Gospel. I think that people will think I am "too Christian" or that they will be offended or laugh at me or think that I am "only a youth." So, God, in His infinite wisdom, has been reminding me of that passage and how I need to be bold in sharing His love and His Gospel. I need to trust in Him that He will work in the people I am sharing with. I just need to be obedient to His word, be like His disciples, and share how Jesus loves and died for all of us! I also need to understand that it is not of my own doing that people come to know the Lord when I share with them, but all of God's doing. He just uses me, a sinner, to spread His kingdom. I need to go beyond boldness, to a state of humility and brokenness so that I am completely relying on the Lord to give me words to say to people. I need the Holy Spirit to work in me to continue to following God's call of missions.

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God BOLDLY." Acts 4:31