December 3rd - Romans 1:16

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile. We are told that the apostle Paul had a particularly unimpressive appearance. According to tradition, he had heavy eyebrows, bandy legs, a bald head, a hooked nose, bad eyesight and no great gifts as a speaker. How could such a person have an impact on the city of Rome, which stood at the heart of a vast and confident empire? The fact that his ministry did have an enormous impact on that city - and far beyond - is because he was absolutely sure of what God had called him to do. He was bursting with pride about the good news. I love the expression that he was “not ashamed” of the good news. It almost sounds like a joke, because Paul was the complete opposite. He was willing to give every second of his time and every ounce of his energy to letting people know about Jesus and his gift of salvation. I wonder what you speak about with pride. Over the last few years, both our daughters have got married and one has given birth to our granddaughter. As you would probably expect, I take any opportunity to talk about them - and if you’ve got the time, I’ll show you the pictures, too! I’m sure you are just the same. Perhaps you also love talking about your family, your successes at work or the improvements you’ve made to your home. It’s good for us to speak with enthusiasm and pleasure about all these things. But I wonder how you talk about your Christian faith. Are you full of pride? I’m really pleased if that is the case, but to be brutally honest, some churches (and some Christians!) can give the impression that they are deeply ashamed of the good news of Christ. They keep it to themselves and squirm when asked to share it with others. Paul’s example should be a challenge and encouragement to us all. Like Paul, we have every reason to be proud of the good news. Nothing else in this world can transform a person’s life in the way that Christ can. He alone can set us free to be the people that God has made us to be. Question – What are the things that you are proud to speak about, and how does that challenge the way in which you speak about your faith? Prayer – Loving Father, thank you that you have called me to share the good news of Christ. Help me to become bolder in the way that I pass it on to others. Amen