Session 10

Are you scared of sharing your faith?

From Mark: A 6-Week Devotional

After Jesus was arrested, the disciples scattered. Mark 14:54 records that Peter followed Jesus and the guards at a distance so as to not be associated with Him. The disciples abandoned Jesus, and while it is easy to scoff at the disciples for their betrayal, don’t we do the same thing?

Like the disciples, we’ve all faced that moment where we could show our devotion to Jesus or stop short out of fear of what others will think. We can give money to the poor, volunteer at homeless shelters, and work harder than anyone, but if we never explain the reason for our actions, have we really shared the Gospel? Our lives will either portray Jesus as a liar or Lord. He is either Lord of all or not Lord at all.

Jesus is either Lord of all or not Lord at all.

We have all been slow to proclaim Jesus before others, but as the disciples later discovered, it’s never too late to change. In Mark 16, Jesus sends the same disciples who abandoned him out as missionaries. Not only that, Jesus said they would have the power to drive out demons, speak new languages, and heal those who are sick (Mark 16:15-18).

If we’re willing to be as devoted to Jesus on Monday as we are on Sunday, He’ll do more in us and through us than we ever imagined. So which will you choose? Will you shy away from sharing what you stand for or will you boldly declare that Jesus is Lord?

Reflect:

• Do your actions change based on who’s around? Why or why not?
• What is one thing you fear about declaring your faith in Jesus?
• Is there anything in your life that needs to change to proclaim Jesus instead of pleasing others?