Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.Notice that Paul mentions two concerns: fear of man and content of the message. I think both of these issues are heavy weights on the shoulders of most Christians; and one often proceeds from the other.
Most Christian groups that I have spoken with about these topics affirm that they are generally afraid to share the message of their faith because they are afraid that someone will ask them a question to which they don't know the answer.
The truth is, no one knows the answer to every possible question, and it's okay to say, "I don't know, but I'll try to find out." Besides, if Paul had concerns about these two issues, and he wrote much of the New Testament, let's be modest enough to say that it's not dramatically weak to have the same concerns.
Action Point: Let's commit to study God's word so that we will have more to draw from when we are sharing the mystery of the gospel, and let's also commit to pray for each other that God will give us the right words and a measure of courage. Deal?
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