Reckless for Jesus
Dan Kunz
Getting older (or as I like to describe it, getting more miles on your tires) definitely has it’s challenges and tribulations. A friend once told me while on a fishing trip in Montana, “It’s sure nice to spend time with someone the same age as me, who doesn’t spend his time talking about all the medications he has to take!” That was several years and many prescriptions ago! It’s also a jolt of reality when you wake up in the morning with an ache or a pain and realize it wasn’t from the football game you played yesterday. (I also lost my fastball years ago. I don’t have to slow it down so the grandkids can hit it.) Visits to the audiologist or optometrist go with the territory also. Yup, growing old isn’t for sissies!
On the other hand, more gray hair has it’s advantages, too. Some younger folks might give up their seat for you or let you go first in line. That’s cool. You don’t feel silly going out for dinner before 5:00 PM, if you’re feeling hungry. Depending on the venue, you might even receive a reduced price for some things. If you’re having a bad day and feeling a little ornery, a lot of people will cut you some slack because they figure it’s just because you’re “getting up there in years”. The best part, however, is the security and courage that comes with getting older. One great-grandma once said about scolding her grandkids, “What are they gonna do, fire me?” Of course she said it with a laugh, but I knew what she meant. There’s a certain confidence that comes with knowing you really only answer to God!
As Christians, we should all have that same confidence when it comes to sharing Jesus with people. I call it “being reckless for Jesus”. Obviously, we always want to be respectful and loving toward others as Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:15 “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we would in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.” But in today’s world, we must also be careful about being affected and infected by the so-called “cancel culture”.
Christians who fail to be the light and the salt of the world fail! We need to warn our “fellow lemmings” they’re walking toward a cliff. If someone is caught in a web of sin and the spider is approaching, we need to point out the urgency of their situation. Ever since 9/11 Americans have been encouraged to “see something, say something”. Why would we be any less vigilant when it comes to someone’s eternal life? Pointing out sin or working vigorously against it, as in the case of abortion, is what we can and should do. Because of last summer’s Supreme Court decision regarding Roe v. Wade, this “fight” has been brought to our doorstep. We can’t be a spectator. Jesus wasn’t.
The same urgency is needed when simply sharing our faith with others. Someone once described a “God-shaped hole everyone has in his heart”. You can fill it with God or with something else. A lot of people try the “something else”. That doesn’t end well. We have the answer to that dilemma, but they won’t know it if we don’t tell them. You can even use that approach when talking to someone. “You know, I’ve tried filling my life with a lot of things over the years, but the only thing which really brought me any lasting peace, contentment, and happiness is Jesus. Everything else was just a ________________.” (Insert - fleeting shadow, fading mist, momentary pleasure, etc.)
Okay. Go ahead. Pretend you’re an old dude with nothing to lose! Point out the cliff. Warn about the spider. Share Jesus. What are they gonna do, fire you?
I want to take a moment and thank all of you who have kept our family in your prayers during our journey of the past three months. I also appreciate those who have taken the time to give me personal encouragement during the writing of the past several blogs. If something flows out of my laptop which gives others peace, support, and comfort in their faith, to God be the glory! By the way, my wife and I attended my cousin’s funeral since my last blog. Death is part of living, isn’t it?