Having a life full of dealing with athletes, I have heard a lot of bragging… and done a bit of it myself. And to be honest, we love to hear others sing our praises of yesteryear… But as we reminisce and typically embellish the truth a bit, (for most of us, as we get older it is amazing how much better we used to be…), and the listener is apt to say, “you’re full of it!”
It is one thing to be thought an exaggerator or liar about one’s athletic prowess… but that is a simple intro to ask a more pertinent question… what do people think your full of?
This simple thought came to mind yesterday after I preached a service and was talking to one of the ladies, who stated, “you’re full of it” to me. I laughed and said I couldn’t wait to tell my wife that I was told that…but, in context, it was one of the greatest compliments I could hear as a preacher/teacher/coach… She had started by encouraging me with a statement that I made things very plain and laid out… I responded by saying that my goal is always to have clarity… to which she responded, “you’re full of it.” It was music to my ears!
All of that to remind us of the imperative to make the Gospel clear to others… The Apostle Paul asked for prayer from the Colossians (4:4), “that I might make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” The word “manifest” is often translated “clear.”
We must make sure that we are sharing a Gospel that is centered on what Jesus has done for us, not what we do for Him… what we do for Him doesn’t earn us salvation BUT should be a result of gratitude for His grace!
Paul goes on to implore us to “conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech ALWAYS BE with GRACE…” (4:5-6)
My prayer for you is what Paul asked for, that you
CLEARLY SHARE GRACE with others! Jesus is something worth bragging about!
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