I'm not ashamed

I have often blogged about Pastor Steven Furtick and Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. The following is from his blog www.StevenFurtick.com. When I read it I felt it was a wonderful testimony but it also illustrates many of our doubts. I hope you enjoy it!

Pastor Steven Furtick is the Lead Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina

I’m not ashamed

Holly [Pastor's wife] and I were having a pretty deep conversation about spiritual things the other day.  When we started the conversation, nobody else was around.  Since it was a private conversation, we were speaking really plainly about Jesus, the Bible, and what God was doing in our lives.

Then some other people walked up beside us (it was a public place), and I found myself toning down my conversation.  I felt kind of like it was rude for me to keep talking about God with strangers listening.  Eventually, I became so uncomfortable that I changed the subject altogether.
Looking back, I’m really ashamed of myself.  I’m ashamed that I was ashamed to continue having an overtly Christian conversation with my wife for fear of what two people who I had never seen before and would likely never see again would think about it.  Especially since they probably weren’t even paying attention to us to begin with.

My willingness to talk openly about Jesus has gone through many different stages.  At times, I’ve been excessive and obnoxious, forcing Jesus into conversations with poor drive-thru workers who were just trying to do their job, hoping that my memorized/regurgitated witnessing lines would bring them to a salvific understanding of the Gospel by the time my value meal transaction was complete.
My intentions were good, the results were disappointing.  I probably did more harm than good.

On the other extreme, what the crap would make me so self-conscious that I would stop talking to my wife about the God who means everything because somebody might think I’m one of those weird Christians?
Shame on me.  I’m a preacher, for crying out loud!

I don’t want to be annoying about my faith.  But it’s even worse to be ashamed.
I’m determined to find the sweet spot of appropriate confidence and inspired boldness that enables me to speak life-
being ever sensitive, but never ashamed.

{Published with Permission}