Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 ESV

I would like to take you on a drive with me down the Interstate that runs through our state: Highway 85. We are on our way to a meeting about an hour away. Sit back and relax, the air conditioner is keeping us comfortable and the Christian music is keeping us joyful.  

Do you see the construction on the other side of the street and the traffic building up?  Oh, there’s an accident. Don’t you see the police lights flashing and the tractor-trailer pulled over?  Wait – this doesn’t make sense.  That tow truck is barreling towards the accident – he’s going too fast!  What in the world? I can’t process what is happening. I can’t take my eyes away.

The red truck makes a sharp left turn and slams into the divider –

Did you just see that?   

He swerves around again and hits the divider again.  The car is smoking – the hood pops up. The truck continues out of control, bumping and popping until it careens into a ditch.

Did you just see that? Did I just see that?

The entire accident took five seconds from the comfort of my car, with the air conditioner keeping us comfortable and the music obstructing the terrors of the accident.

In five seconds, a life was altered, a family, perhaps a father, gone too soon.  Seeing something so unexpected and so tragic, felt like a perversion from the comfort of my car. I felt the heavens must have ripped open with a perceptible shriek of agony and despair, that one could have died, and not known Jesus.

Maybe it would be right to turn the music off now and turn the air down a bit, and not be so ridiculously comfortable in my Christianity. The questions I ask myself are easy, the answers are hard.

Have I shared Jesus with the hearts that Jesus has put into my sphere of influence?

Do I live my Christian life by example?

Do I evangelize my faith and the joys found in Jesus?

The answers are hard: not always. The schedule, impatience, unforgiveness, fatigue all get in my way. My marriage, my kids, my business all demand much of my time and attention.  I’m sorry that if in my silence some might have slipped away; in death, into other religions, other habits, other relationships. I must speak of Jesus with those He puts in my path, sharing the wonders of our Savior.  I may not know the Bible inside and out– but I know my Jesus.  I can speak of the miracles He has performed in my life and I can share the excitement that bubbles within me from spending time with Him. I can introduce others to how I worship through color and color in my Bible.  I can speak of Him only as I know Him.

Witnessing the frailty of this life caught my breath. Five seconds and everything changed for a family. We have 86,400 seconds in a day to live out loud for Christ. How will we spend those seconds? Who can you reach today?

Jesus, Help me to be brave in speaking of You. Holy Spirit, I know that You go before me preparing the heart and getting it ready to receive the seed of the Gospel.  Help me to be obedient to speak when the time is right.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.