Session 9

The one thing you don’t have to hold in

From Choosing Words Wisely: A 9-Day Devotional

Most people either love or hate sushi. Sushi haters will scrunch their faces at the idea of raw fish. Sushi lovers will try to convince sushi haters they are missing out. Both sides are passionately convinced they are right.

We go to great lengths to convince people to give our favorite foods and products a try. Nobody minds hearing our opinions on food, but let’s be real. It gets tense when we talk about our passion for Jesus.  

Jeremiah understood better than anyone the adversity that comes from passionately talking about faith. He went to great lengths to tell people about God, and they didn’t want to hear it. Jeremiah’s own friends were plotting against him, and even though Jeremiah wanted to quit, he couldn’t. In Jeremiah 20:9, Jeremiah says,“... his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

Like Jeremiah, when we’ve experienced God’s presence, we just can’t hold it in. Not everyone will want to hear what we have to say. After all, Jesus’ message forces us to confront the reality of our sin and requires a response. But like the sushi lover who won’t back down, we can’t help inviting people to experience what we love. Every invitation to church or conversation about faith is a chance to invite friends and family to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

Reflect:

• Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like you had to say something? What was the conversation about? How did your passion affect your response?
• When was the last time you tried to talk to someone about what you believe? What did you learn from that experience?
• Have you ever felt picked on or persecuted for your faith? Read Jeremiah 20:11-13 again. What encouragement can you draw from these verses today?