Are You Ashamed? :: Deeper Devotion

by Glenn Ansley

Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

I was probably no more than ten years old the first time I lied about my faith. That means my older cousin must have been somewhere around the age of thirteen. I didn’t know him very well though. Our fathers only saw each other a couple of times a year. He was cool though, and he had asked me to go fishing with him. I remember we were the only ones there. My uncle had dropped us off at some remote pond in central Florida. Chad was always tall… I vividly remember looking up and over my right shoulder as he cast his line into the water. He asked me, “So, do you guys still go to Sunday school?”

I don’t really know why I tried to cover it up like I did. I remember feeling scared that he wouldn’t like me, or that he would think I was weird for going to church. In the end, I made it sound like my mother made me go… but I definitely hated it. Chad didn’t go to church regularly. I guess I wanted him to think I was as cool as he was.

Looking back, I realize how innocent his question actually was. He wasn’t trying to rate my “coolness,” he probably just wanted to make conversation with his younger cousin. Unfortunately, I ran from the opportunity to share my joy with Chad. You may say that I was only ten years old and this could hardly be held against me… but why do I still remember it fifteen years later?

As a believer, I have experienced joy after joy and countless blessings because someone else took the time to share Christ with me. I haven’t spoken to Chad for several years now. We recently found out that his father has been diagnosed with a pretty severe lung cancer. I wonder if Chad goes to Sunday school now? I ask God to give me the courage to tell him that I do the next time we talk…

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