What are you afraid of? Sometimes there is a fear of being bold, especially when you are not following the “popular” opinion. Over the last couple of days, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on Luke 19:1–10, praying through it, relaying it to friends, and just sitting with God. The biggest thing that has stood out to me is how much easier it should be for us to talk about Jesus openly, boldly, and as often as possible!
In this scripture, Zacchaeus was desperate just to get close to Jesus. He was a tax collector, disliked by many people, and honestly probably embarrassed by the attention he would receive. But none of that stopped him. He humbled himself completely. A grown man climbed a tree in front of a crowd of people who didn’t even like him, all because he wanted to SEE Jesus.
Zacchaeus didn’t care about looking foolish. He didn’t care about opinions, judgment, or his reputation. Being close to Jesus mattered more. Same should go for us, right?
And when Jesus called his name and chose to stay at his house, Zacchaeus life changed forever. As I’ve prayed through this story, I keep asking myself: if Zacchaeus was willing to humble himself before a crowd just for the chance to see Jesus, why do I sometimes hesitate to speak about the goodness of God when I already know Him personally? I already know I’m saved and have been chosen by the Lord for a PURPOSE!
We already know His love, faithfulness, mercy, and the way He changes lives. Talking about Him shouldn’t feel forced or uncomfortable. It should naturally flow from our hearts because of everything He has done for us.
I think sometimes fear of people holds us back more than we realize. Fear of sounding “too much,” fear of rejection, fear of being judged. But this scripture reminds me that closeness with Jesus is always worth more than the approval of people or the fear of judgment.
My prayer lately has simply been, “Lord, let me love You so deeply that talking about You becomes natural. Let my life point people back to You. Give me the boldness to speak about Your goodness without hesitation, without FEAR.” Because when you truly encounter Jesus, it changes everything—and that kind of joy is too good to keep to yourself.