Fear no man's frown

The first week of Sept30in30 was like eating a piece of cake. Delicious to the taste buds, easy on the stomach.

No one rejected me, no one made me feel like I had 3 eyes going around harassing people.

"This isn't too bad... in fact, this is great!" Lah Dee Dah while skipping through the streets of Perth handing out tracts. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't being proud, I just thought smooth sail lasts forever.

Then in the second week my test begins:

"I'm from a baptist church, I DON'T need this." Rejection number one.

"I got this 2 weeks ago, NOT interested." Rejection number two.

"Er, got this last year, no thanks." Rejection number three.

"She doesn't want it, NEITHER do I." Rejection number four.

"HEY! (chasing me down the isle) I WON'T be needing this, you might want to give this to someone else." Rejection number five.

"Nah, NOT for me." Rejection number six.

"Um, NO." Rejection number seven, eight, nine, ten...

...and counting.

But I thank God because it is also the week that God gave me the greatest strength to overcome my petty doubts and inabilities. He answered prayers, performed miracle, renewed my tiring soul and filled me with the Holy Spirit to soldier on each day carrying out the great commission.

Each day God shows me more and more of who I truly am inside. I used to think that I didn't have a problem. If I had a problem, it's other people's problem that there is a problem.

How unspeakably obnoxiously proud!! I can't bare thinking just how God thought of me at that stage. I believe there is plenty more of what God needs to show me and He is revealing them to me one by one, changing me step by step. I thank God for His grace and mercy because out of love He is patient in moulding me to be more like Christ.

Today something happened that I need to thank God for. Something which made me cry but I know God wants me to know I am on the right track. If I'm being tempted and persecuted for righteousness' sake, Satan has a lot to worry about.

Lord, please pour me with your grace that I may bare it for Christ's sake.

"And, oh, dear brothers, who are engaged in winning souls, let me say to you, by the memories of all these good men who have gone before you, and who were counted eccentric, fear no man's frown, and court no man's smile, but say the right thing and the true, and say it as best you can, and ask God's help that you may say it so that you may make men feel it, even though you sting them into anger; for blessed shall that man be who has discharged his conscience before the living God. Do not sacrifice your hearers' souls to your own reputations. Be fools for Christ's sake, if need be, that you may gain the careless ones."
- Charles H. Spurgeon.