Self-Evident Faith (Friday Devotional)

 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is God’s saving power for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

- Romans 1:16

An undue amount of my attention the past few weeks has been devoted, as you might expect, to the Texas Rangers’ improbable postseason run. I’ve listened to games on the radio, I’ve followed them on the MLB App, I’ve watched them on TV, and I even attended a game in person last week. As they advanced closer and closer to a World Series berth, I grew more and more excited (and nervous!) So when they defeated the Houston Astros in the league championship series on Monday night, securing a trip to the World Series, I was overjoyed.

And as this week’s gone by, with the team and its fans afforded a few days to catch our breath before the World Series starts tonight, I’ve noticed something interesting: everybody from high school friends to church members to the crossing guard at my son’s school wants to talk with me about the Rangers. Totally unprompted by me, they want to high-five over the team’s success or ask for my prediction about the upcoming series or check to see if I’m going to attend a World Series game. I’m not usually the one bringing it up, but I have made my passion for the Rangers so self-evident over the years that they know how important this run is to me. My fandom is a mystery to no one.

Fandom and faith aren’t the same thing, not by a long shot. But just as I wear my loyalty to the Rangers on my sleeve, we are all called to proudly wear the name of Jesus. Believers are called to be the Lord’s witnesses, telling his story to all who will listen. We’re called to be his ambassadors, representing him in the world. And we’re called to do these things in a spirit of joy, undertaking the work of gospel proclamation not as a frightful chore, but a holy opportunity.

Just as there are obnoxious fans—the ones drunkenly bellowing at the top of their lungs from their seats in the grandstands—there are also believers whose zeal is so aggressive that they give evangelism a bad name. But the bleacher creature’s antics don’t stop the rest of the fans from cheering, and neither should the sins of a few bad actors cause the rest of us to be ashamed of the gospel. You have been saved and given new life in Christ—that ought to be something you’re excited enough about that you don’t want to keep it a secret!

Because of what you’ve shared and how you live, I hope the people in your life know you’re a Christian, that your love for Jesus is as self-evident as my love for a baseball team. People know what’s important to you—so I pray they know about your faith.