"For I am not ashamed..."

I was doing some thinking last night. (I do all of my best thinking at night while I’m lying awake in bed). My thoughts turned to this Scripture which popped into my head.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; …

A little background on this scripture (the RM in me). This is the apostle Paul preaching to the Romans. Interestingly after this particular Scripture in the rest of the chapter he goes on to chastise those who are guilty of murder, homosexuality, fornication, etc.

I really like Paul’s boldness. I like that he, knowing that he is about to chastise them and will probably be ridiculed for it, states that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Are we ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we care more about looking good in front of other people, or worry more about what other people think of us?

Or are we bold like Paul? Do we teach and defend the gospel of Jesus Christ where ever we are?

As a full-time missionary, I considered myself fairly bold. But, I think it was easier to be bold as a missionary because I was a full-time representative of Jesus Christ and His church. I didn’t really know any of the people I was teaching or talking to, but they knew who I was and what I represented by the black name tag I wore.

It might be a little more difficult to stand up for what you believe in, and not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ when you face ridicule and persecution from friends and family.

None of us are perfect. That’s why we are here on earth, to be tested and tried. I’m sure there are times in all of our lives when we’ve been in situations where we should have said something and stood up for ourselves and the gospel, but maybe we didn’t because we didn’t want to rock the boat or standout or be ridiculed and persecuted.

But really, what’s there to fear? Should we not fear God more than man? In other words, isn’t our ultimate goal to return to our Heavenly Father? Then why should we worry about man’s opinion of us? I have never been one to worry too much about what people think of me. Perhaps that’s why it’s easier for me to be bold when it comes to defending and teaching the gospel.

The reason I’ve been thinking about this particular Scripture recently is because I’ve encountered a few situations with members of The Church who, in my opinion, appeared to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

None of the scenarios were earthshaking. In fact, they are pretty minor. But I think it’s the little things that accumulate and really determine who you are and what you stand for.

I hope that we can all be a little more bold, and stand up for what we believe in and for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope we can all be more like Paul, and not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

That’s my two cents.