Tell It!

Luke 2:^17-18 “After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.”

The Bible says, give thanks by telling the world, not by keeping it to yourself. I had a coursemate in university, neat, always tucking in. But in retrospect, I realized that whenever we are abusing lecturers or talking about ‘bad’ things, he would not say anything. The funny ones, he will just smile but he will not comment. Then one day someone invited me for one program at the chapel in school. I sat down at the back in one corner, just looking at everybody. So these days when I get into church and I see people who like to sit at the back, I just smile because they are my people. The person preaching finished the sermon and gave an altar call. The place was filled with people that gave their lives to Jesus, but I sat there unmoved.

However, when he was about to leave the altar, he stopped and said he needed to sing a song. He took the microphone and sang, ‘Here I am, send me. Here I am, send me. For the Lord needs somebody, here I am, send me!’ And at that point, I started weeping uncontrollably. I could not get up; everybody left but I stayed there till past midnight, just weeping. I did not know what to pray. By the time I got up from there, I was changed miraculously and that was how I gave my life to Jesus. By the time I got up from there, I knew my calling. It was like salvation, consecration, calling, everything in one day. Unbelievable! Then I decide to join a fellowship because if you are a child of God you have to find other children of God, right?

I joined the fellowship; it was really powerful, and I was fired up. Then on my way out guess who I saw? My friend, my coursemate, wearing a tie. Who wears a tie in university? He was asking if I was now saved and telling me how happy he was to have me in church. In anger, I looked at him and said, ‘You mean you are saved?’ He said he had been saved since year one. Honestly, I wanted to punch him in the face, that was how I felt. But I did not punch him, I said something nasty to him, told him to get out of my face, and I left. Remember, I was saved but I was not changed yet. My character had not yet formed. Why was I angry? How can he know this, come to class with me, and he knows I was going to… yet never invite me to fellowship? Not for one day did he try to initiate a conversation about Jesus, not once.

That kind of person cannot be my friend. And of course, the next thing I did, I got to class, shut down the whole class, and told everybody about Jesus. You have to tell others about the good thing you have discovered, well except you are a wicked person. I know people who will not invite their colleagues to church because the church is their competitive advantage. It is what they use to outshine others in the office. I know people like that, and I have to set them straight. God will forgive you. Remember the story of the four lepers (2 Kings 7:1-10, please read)? It is questionable for you to know God and you cannot tell people; it is questionable.

Prayer: Father, my generations shall declare Your works to nations, in Jesus Name. Amen!