How Sweet It Is
Why is it that some people have such an easy time talking about their faith?
I used to avoid it at all costs. I believed my faith to be a personal matter between God and me, and that revealing its nature would be like going out into the world naked. Not only would I feel foolish, but no one would find that experience the least bit pleasant or enjoyable.
Today, there are many times each week when I shed my inhibitions and reveal what is going beneath the surface. What I have found is that I don't need to be an expert or historian to find something in The Bible that speaks to me.
He said to me, Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey. - Ezekiel 3:3
Ezekiel found the words to be sweet, and I am sure that made it easier for him to share them with others.
The journey we all take is personal, and many of us don't feel a need or desire to share that journey with anyone else. We also may not want to hear about it.
There is a time and a place for everything, and sharing our faith is no different.
I belong to a men's group that meets twice a month. First we share the weekly Scripture readings aloud and then we share our thoughts.
Over the years, we have come to learn a great deal about each other this way, and much of what we discovered is that the faith we share is greater than the faith we keep hidden.
By that I mean it is by sharing that we strengthen our faith.
We don't always agree, and that disagreement is one of the main ingredients in the mix. Faith unchallenged is faith unknown. It is not just through the testing of our faith through adversity, but through mutual rediscovery that new insights and understandings are revealed to us.
Ezekiel consumed God's words, not just to be fed, but to feed others. How sweet it is.
Image credit: shaiith / 123RF Stock Photo