When they had seen him, they spread the word. (Luke 2:17)
I have a friend who loves to cook. He once talked to me about food for an hour. Cooking is not my passion, but after our conversation, I found myself cooking more, caring more, and noticing new ingredients and tastes. Why? I caught a bit of his passion.
Emotions are contagious. Sit and talk with someone who is sour-faced, and you’ll probably find yourself smiling less. Hang around with a cheerful, whistling friend, and your mood is likely to improve. Like yawns, our emotional states are accidentally influential, but when someone is passionate, they can purposefully spread it even faster.
The shepherds saw angels. Then they went and saw Jesus himself. Their excitement was indescribable, yet they somehow managed to describe it to everyone they could find! They were too excited about this good news to keep it to themselves.
Unfortunately, sometimes the tepidity of many mature Christians tends to stifle those who are on fire for Jesus. We often feel the burden to educate them properly before they start sharing the good news, or at least make sure their life is cleaned up enough to represent God. I think that kind of restraint is the opposite of what God desires. Growth will happen daily over decades, but the gospel can spread rapidly through the lives of passionate people who have met Jesus.
Tell someone the story of when you first met Jesus.
Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway [Wesleyan] Church, in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of “Jaded Faith” (WPH).
© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
