An Uncomfortable Gospel

A friend of mine recently sent me a facebook message thanking me for being her friend. She said that there weren't many people in the context in we met in that had taken an interest in her. So, she appreciated that I did.

I loved that she wrote this because it helped to encourage me to do it again for someone else. Still, I was a little sad that others hadn't shown her love because we met at a church. And a church ought to be a place where interest is shown in people.

Of course, interest should also be shown other places, too. After all, we're not just Christians in one location for 1 hour a week, right?

But for a lot of people, this is an uncomfortable thing - inviting others over, or out, or just asking about their lives. For a long time, it was an uncomfortable thing for me. A lot of days, it still is.

When I was in college, my roomie and I both struggled with some pretty severe shyness. Now, around each other, we could talk for hours. But with people we'd never met, it was very difficult to strike up a conversation, or even introduce ourselves, for that matter.

She once told me something that I've never forgotten. Something that I remind myself of often.

"The heart of shyness is selfishness."

She went on to explain that when we are shy, we're mostly shy because we wonder what the other person will think of us. Will they accept me? Do I have anything to offer? Will they think I'm strange?

Now, I know that some people are predisposed to shyness, so that statement can be offensive. I'm predisposed to it, myself. But I see this as a convicting statement, personally.

The Gospel of Christ calls us out of our comfort zones. It doesn't call us out of our personalities, so I may never be the loud mouth that Billy is. (Which I absolutely adore about him!) But the gospel calls us to love. And more than that, to show that love.

I recently took some Christmas cookies to my neighbors. I'll admit... the first neighbor was tough. She barely opened the door and looked at me strange. I thought for a second that she wasn't going to even take them. But she did, and then I left. The next neighbor invited me in and we chatted for about 30 minutes. The next neighbor was also nice, and I found out she has a daughter just a few months younger than Ashlyn. We agreed to talk after the holidays and get together in my home for some playtime.

So, the response was varied, but in each one, it was up to me to start relationships with these women. I can't control how others will respond to me. But I can take God's call seriously and love my neighbors regardless of how they respond to me.

And if the Gospel of God is important, then I need to be willing to get over myself and my shyness and let God save some souls through me.