Making the Star of the Show Famous
This day AFTER Christmas, I’m treasuring sweet times with family and friends — some close enough to hug and embrace, and others via social media. Recently, a dear friend texted me: “We cancelled our FB last week. Gonna’ miss your blogs. FB has gotten way out of hand with too much disrespect for Christianity.”
I replied: “I’m sorry to see you go! Remember that FB is a mission field. If our lights go out and Christians back off, it’s another way the enemy steals the Gospel message of light and life. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel!” Those are Jesus’ words and social media is “all the world”. We don’t have to read what others say, but we can influence with our lights. Please pray about it.”
My thoughts went to Mary and how she “treasured things in her heart”, unlike how descriptive we are about our children and their lives on social media. I’m guilty, as charged. We even know the gestation periods of moms as they show photos of their growing tummies. And, the latest trends are photos of babies bearing a sign “1-month old”, 2-months, etc. We are our babies and families’ “publicity managers”! The world of social media certainly is different than Mary’s “treasuring those things in her heart”.
It had to have been Mary who shared about the miracle birth because she was the only living eye-witness. Her “delivery of the news” was unlike my “many words” daily posts. I marvel at her quiet demeanor and her ability to “treasure in her heart. (Luke 2:19) Just think about all the details she could have shared instead of the brief explanation of her miracle pregnancy and the wonders of her baby’s birth – the angels, the shepherds, the star! Oh, to have been a woman who she dictated her story to. I would have had details for you — the color of the baby’s eyes, his length, weight, how often he cried and laughed and when he rolled over, sat up, crawled, etc.
How can we make Jesus famous if we only ponder about Him and keep Him all to ourselves? We have so many extraordinary, available ways to broadcast the good news of Jesus. Don’t get me wrong. There ARE times to sit in Jesus’ holy presence and treasure, adore, and honor Him. But, if we don’t get out of our comfortable places of “Silent Night. Holy Night” to “Go Tell It on the Mountain” — who then will be the bearers of good tidings and great joy?
I treasure Mary’s “Yes” as I realize God inspires me daily to use whatever platform I’m given to be Mary’s spokesperson. She treasured in her heart because that was God’s best plan for her. Now, her heart is revealed in how I can help her make her Son famous and help people fall in love with Him as I did. Jesus said “Truly, I tell all of you, the one who believes in Me will also do what I’m doing. He will do even greater things than these because I’m going to the Father.” (John 14:12) Why then, would we NOT use every means possible like books, testimonials, missions’ teams, churches, movies, television, social media, and word-of-mouth to get the word out to make Him famous? Let’s get out there in every way possible to shine the spotlight on Jesus and help make Him famous! It’s our calling to “Go!”