Do you believe in Jesus?

That moment when your four year old speaks words of conviction all down your spine and you want to run to repentance. Once again, I’m shown I can learn from anyone, especially my own children. In the past five months our oldest daughter has expressed such incredible boldness in her faith, which I am certain comes from following in her daddy’s footsteps. I can’t help but think she really was born for such a time as this. 

She started by asking me questions why some people go to church on Sunday and some do not. She began saying we need to pray for them (the ones that were not at church, even though I explained people go to church on Fridays and Saturdays too). Then her question about everyone was, “do they believe in Jesus?” 

I chose those moments to encourage her to share Jesus with her friends. To my surprise she took my advice and asked all the kids in the gym childcare if they believed in Jesus. Only two said yes. Only two out of about fifteen. We were very proud of her efforts to share Jesus. Once her mission for the day was complete, she passed the torch on to her Daddy. She said, “Daddy, promise me you will tell someone about Jesus today.” 

Sharing the Gospel in any given scenario to anyone, for instance a Muslim or Jew, is the simplest and most gratifying thing for my husband. While I’ve always been what I’d consider a steadfast Christian, I’m not as fluent or at ease with sharing. 

I have a four year, like her daddy, that challenges me to be better. When we go through the drive-thru of Chick-fi-la she begs me to ask the girl (or guy) delivering food if she believes in Jesus. At Chick-fi-la it is safe, we’ve had great responses thus far. I’m not 100% sure what I’ll do when we meet a negative response. The other day we went through the drive-thru again. She asked me to ask the girl, but I got mixed up with remembering the sauces and checking the bag. My fiery four year old was not happy with my choice. I promised to ask her next time. 

As I type these words, I wonder what if there isn’t a next time and I missed an opportunity? I can’t help but think of all the missed opportunities I’ve had over the years when fear overcame me. My daughter is already fearless in her faith. She is pure and unscathed by doubts of this world. I can speak on stages and boldly proclaim a message for Christ. I can show my girls and friends how to study the Word of God. To be honest, in the day to day activities, I get nervous about sharing or “interrupting” someone’s day. I’m not always thinking about the eternity of all the people I interact with from Walmart cashiers, nurses, doctors, playground peers, servers, and so on. My four year old is concerned. There lies my conviction. 

On Friday she plans to ask the Little Mermaid if she believes in Jesus. I can’t wait to see what she says as she stays in character, because in our hours ALL the princesses believe in Jesus.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:19 

Job's Friends

Job had to get worn out hearing his friends suggest he had sinned. It probably felt like a knife cutting deep, when his own wife said to curse God and die (Job 2:9). He made it through his tests so valiantly. I wonder if God did close his ears to hearing all the negative, but evidently hearing the deception was part of the testing. Words can be so devastating especially when loosely spoken. 

When we look at Job’s friends we can: a.) see ourselves and how we unwisely respond to our closest friends, or b.) be the recipient of poor counsel from friends.  Many times we have friends and family exactly like Job’s friends, exhorting great efforts to fix and correct a bad situation. 

Eliphaz tried to speak for God to Job. He considered himself wise and able to fix Job’s circumstances (Job 4). Nothing that Eliphaz said to Job resonated in his spirit, because Job was intimately involved with God. Bildad’s explanation of Job’s hardship was hardly different than Eliphaz’s (Job 8). His friend Zophar suggested to put away sin and God would definitely change the situation (Job 11). Job’s friends wore him down. They filled his ears with false wisdom. Their tone was condescending and totally off base. 

The intentions of friends and family are not all bad, but their words may spew negativity over your life and circumstances. What God calls you to do, and the trials you must go through in order to meet that calling, are generally nothing like what someone on the outside deems best. When they suggests you have sinned in some area, your life is fruitless, you should try a different job, move somewhere else, make new friends, maybe marry someone different; their words are not necessarily God’s thoughts and definitely not His words. You must hold steadfast to the promises of God on your life, only you and God know clearly what He has spoken to you. The voices of others can cause confusion and confusion is not of God. Follow the discernment  of when there is any doubt, stay put and wait…even if waiting seems like a slow death. 

The real question becomes how do you ignore the words of others, especially the ones that cut deep and cause paralytic behavior. How do you hear the words but not take in the words? How do you remain cordial, yet knowing what you know, even if it makes absolutely no sense to those around you? How do you carry on with full confidence in what God has spoken to you? How do you move forward when nothing goes right?

The Holy Spirit is the only answer to those questions. He gives us determination, the will to stand firm, and hope when all things seem hopeless. He is our guiding light, our strong tower and great refuge. The One who has our best interests in mind even through sickness, death, and immense humiliation. He is the One who see’s us through till the end, when all is restored and the mouthes of the doubters are closed. He is the One that blesses beyond our earthly comprehension.

In the end, Job did not ask God to curse his friends. The Lord rebuked his friends and Job prayed for his friends. Afterwards, the Lord restored the fortunes to Job. He was blessed in his latter years with sheep, camel, oxen, donkeys, but most importantly seven sons and three daughters. His life was full and he died an old man (Job 42). 

Friend, I have no clue why you have to experience trials. Personally, there are circumstances in my life I’ve had to face that I’m still uncertain of their reason. Nonetheless, God does not abandon His own. He may go silent for a short while, He may step back and allow you to make choices, but He is never too far away to call out His name. Stand firm, may the Holy Spirit close your ears to the noise, and shield your heart from distractions. God’s favor and blessings have unique timing. When they follow hardships they are all the more precious.