The "J" Word

  Why is it that we as Christians tiptoe around the name of our savior?  We cry out to him at all hours of the day, but when in conversation with others, we tend to omit his name as if it were tabu.  I suppose that is because we have let a few make decisions for us all.  We have allowed Satan to convince us that it is tabu or not PC to say the name, Jesus. That some terrible fate will befall us should we acknowledge we are a child of God and will receive the inheritance of Jesus.   When I have discussions with my coworkers, family, and friends I do not hesitate to speak the names of those to whom I am very close.  Why should I be hesitant to speak Jesus' name when He is the reason I am?  Because I choose to serve as my profession should not keep me from voicing who I am and what I believe.  However, there have been many times, that I have second guessed myself, even avoided crucial conversations altogether because I did not know how to have them without referring to my faith.  This is the power of Satan in my workplace.  We don't like to think of him as being in our schools, but if Jesus is not there, then Satan is.
 
2 Timothy 4:1-3 says, "  I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,…".  

  So, is it better to make sure that we do not offend anyone around us; or should we be sure to show our faith and our belief in how to love one another, serve our communities, and be strong, moral leaders?  I say we have no choice.  Our savior deserves no less than for us to shout his name from the mountain tops!  So we can surely call Him by name when we are a part of His family.  We should not refrain from naming Him as if he is some relative whom the family would rather not acknowledge.  When we refrain from saying His name, we are doing the same to our God.  My prayer today is to have the courage and strength to name my God and my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I want to give Him credit for all He does in my life day by day.  

Dear Lord,
  Please give me the strength, courage, and wisdom I need to acknowledge you in all ways and speak your name so that all whom I encounter know that I am a child of God and my Savior, Jesus Christ, is my life model.
  In Jesus' Name
Amen