“Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone – except God”

-Billy Graham

Why is it so easy for us to offend God, but we tiptoe around offending others? Why do we not speak about God to those who desperately need Him? Why are we afraid or uncertain about sharing our faith with others? What is stopping us from giving our testimony and proclaiming Jesus as our Lord and Savior?

Personally, I feel that today's generations are easily offended. That no matter what the issue is or how much they really understand they’ll put their thoughts out on social media and then get offended when some disagree, challenges, or questions them. No matter what is said or who says it someone will always be offended, yet people take steps or certain precautions to make sure their thoughts or words don’t offend anyone around them, whether it be through any form of social media out there or through face-to-face conversations. So if we are willing to take these precautions for other people, then why do we so casually offend God even when we don’t mean to?

In our day-to-day lives when we use phrases like g**d*** it or when we get frustrated or overwhelmed and we take the Lord’s name in vain and these offend God on a daily basis. When I’m sitting in the JSAC or in Allgood Hall I hear phrases that take God’s name in vain or disrespect him daily, and it saddens me that people are so comfortable doing it. In Exodus 19:12 it says, ‘And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord’.It clearly states that the Lord’s name shouldn’t be taken in vain in the third book in the Bible. Right from the start it is stated and it said again at Exodus 20:7, ’You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain’. When the Lord’s name is taken in vain whether you are aware of it or not, you are guilty. Though this may seem small and insignificant, it distances you from God and growing closer to him. If anything takes you further away from God and his love, then why do we do it? Why do we not take the necessary precautions to not offend God?

When an opportunity is presented to share my faith or to just talk about Jesus I tend to shy away from taking that step. I know I’m guilty of it because there’s an underlying fear about all the what if’s and the possibility of them becoming closed off and hostile once God or Jesus is brought into the conversation. As Christians, we are called to make disciples of all nations, but that is hard to do especially when we’re afraid to talk about our faith or share our personal testimony hoping that they’ll be able to relate on some level with us afterwards, or maybe it’s because there is a vulnerability involved with sharing your testimony that we aren’t used to having with people outside of our circle. With that amount of vulnerability, there is a chance that they will reject you or say some hurtful things because your story is very similar to their own. Personally, I’m terrified of stepping out there and exposing myself to that without knowing the outcome of it. Letting God have complete control and obeying without hesitation has always been a struggle for me and will probably continue to be one until I am comfortable enough doing it. The only way to become comfortable with witnessing to those around you is through practice. The more you give your testimony the more comfortable you become when God calls upon you to tell your story of how your life was like before God and how God changed your life the moment you finally accepted that you are a child of God.

Honestly, the only thing stopping us from not giving our testimony, sharing our faith, sharing the gospel, proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior, is us. God isn’t going to stop us from sharing the good news about Jesus. He is going to encourage us and give us the tools to carry out his will for us. Some might even say it’s the devil that stops or prevents us from doing this, but it only us. The devil can plant the seeds of why this isn’t a good idea and distract you from God’s plan for you but the devil cannot take your choices or your free will away from you, without you allowing him to have that hold on you. Whether you are terrified, uncertain, hesitant, etc., what is holding you back? What is your excuse?