Ringing

I found this verse while doing devotions the other day, and I liked it so much that I copied it out onto a sticky note and put it on my dresser. I've decided that I want it to be my goal as far as spreading the Gospel...

"And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere... for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God."
- 1 Thessalonians 1:8

I don't know about you, but I put a lot of value into what other people think of me. This means that I often am too scared to share my faith with others because I'm afraid they'll make fun of me or think of me differently. I know that's the devil trying to stop me from spreading God's love, but sometimes I give in to his lies. Anyways, this verse was really cool to read because it showed me that it IS possible to have God's word 'ringing' from you, just like the Thessalonians. It makes me think of the song by Casting Crowns, "Until the Whole World Hears":

Ready yourselves
Ready yourselves
Let us shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night
Ready yourselves
Ready yourselves
May the powers of darkness tremble as our praises rise

Until the whole world hears Lord we are calling out
Lifting up Your name for all to hear the sound
Like voices in the wilderness we're crying out
As the day draws near
We'll sing until the whole world hears

I want to have people talking about MY faith in God. But that means I actually have to step up to the plate and put actions to my words. And that's a hard thing to do. I have to ask God every day for the courage to share and talk about Him and His love. It's not easy, but God is strong in our weakness, so I can trust that He'll help me.