He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15, NIV)
Pulling back the curtain for a minute, I came far too close to writing today’s devotion about a dental appointment gone wrong. I think I made a good point, but I’m pretty sure subscribers to a golf devotional would rather hear about lasers that measure distance to a flag than those used to eliminate tooth decay. That original devo is now resting comfortably in my Drafts folder waiting on an express ticket to the Trash. You can thank me later.
Maybe I don’t need admit my failures and restarts like this, but I am a fan of Dr. Brené Brown, who says, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” This has been true in my life, and I hope my being vulnerable with you will encourage you to give it a try for yourself.
We all will stumble over ourselves from time to time. You know how true this is if you’ve ever critiqued yourself on camera. It’s bad enough when I’m looking at a replay of my golf swing, but lately I’ve been venturing out into the Zoom arena, recording interviews with Links Fellowship leaders and others. I’m not in love with what I see:
– I wish I had hair.
– I wish I could sit still on camera.
– I wish the words flowed out of my mouth like butter.
When I see all my flaws, I don’t care anymore how much money TV’s talking heads make. They deserve every penny.
In today’s verse, Jesus implored his followers to proclaim the gospel to all creation. Sounds like a broadcaster’s job, doesn’t it? So we can quickly start thinking, “I’m not qualified.” But proclaiming the gospel isn’t about my comfort level, it’s about Jesus. So I’m learning to get over myself and try new things.
You may not have a mailing list you can write to or the capability to publish videos to the internet, but there is something you can do, and that’s share your story.
You may not have a mailing list you can write to or the capability to publish videos to the internet, but there is something you can do, and that’s share your story. You don’t need to be smooth, but you need to be genuine. In other words, be yourself, flaws and all.
I encourage you to give “preaching the gospel” a try if you haven’t already. Tell it to a wall if you’re not ready to face a live audience. Then ask a friend if they’d be willing to listen and grow from there.
I’m happy to share my testimony with crowds big and small. Please know that I feel vulnerable each time I speak, but I grow with every repetition. I think you will too.
And don’t forget to floss.
—
Drew Hamilton
October 26, 2020
Copyright 2020 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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