Not Shrinking

 We use the word "shrink" several different ways. Most of the time we talk about clothes that become smaller when we wash them and put them in a dyer. We say those clothes shrink. However, we also can use the word to refer to a person who is too afraid to speak up about something important. We say that person shrinks from saying what needed to be said. I pray none of us will shrink when it comes to speaking about Jesus.

Paul used this word to describe his ministry in Ephesus. He taught the church there for 3 years and sent out many people to start churches around Asia Minor. (Acts 20:27) Paul told the elders of the church at Ephesus that he did not shrink from declaring to them the whole purpose of God. In other words, Paul spoke God's truth even if some of the people did not agree with what he was saying.

When we share the Word of God with others, we must be faithful to present it just as it is. We must not add to the words of God, and we must not leave out anything that the Word says. After all, it is God's Word, not ours. We do not have the authority to change it. God gave it to us for our benefit. If we fail to share the whole purpose of God, we are cheating others, not helping them.

However, we will run into people who do not agree with some of the things God has given us in the Bible. In fact, they may be very much opposed to some things. That makes it a challenge for us to present the whole purpose of God to them, but we must not shrink from sharing the whole Word of God. They may get mad at us. They may not like us after that, but we are doing the loving thing by giving them the facts from the Lord, so they know just what God wants them to believe and to do.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 21-23.