I've been thinking about this for a while. What is the main purpose of Christians? Why are we here? Why doesn't God just merely take us into Heaven after we become Christians? Well, I think the main reasons are listed in Matthew 5:13-16 ("'You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven") and 1 Peter 3:15b ("...and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear"). God wants us to be a witness. We are called to be the salt of the earth or the light of the world. We are supposed to be different from everyone else - we have Jesus in us! He needs to be able to shine through us! That is one form of witness, not by words but by actions. Others should be able to look at us and think, "Huh. Something is different about them." Also, we're supposed to witness with our words. We are called to verbally tell others about our faith on a regular basis. But ask yourself, do you do that? I know I don't. I've been thinking....imagine when we reach Heaven, and we are standing before our Savior, and He asks, "Did you tell others about Me? Did you plant the seeds in the hearts?" What will we say? Did we? Are we? Ninety-seven percent of Christians don't share their faith regularly. 97%!!! How sad! We ALL must rise to this and obey God's command. This is our purpose. Yes, we all have different purposes in which God will use us in this world, but witnessing and shining our light is the main purpose. When you think about it though, it's probably the hardest thing for us to do. We tend to block out the fact that most of the people around us are likely going to Hell. We tend to live in la-la land, and blow it off, acting as if everything was fine. But it's not. We must share the word of God before it is too late! Our world is getting more and more evil with each passing day, and people are dying without Christ every single SECOND! We must tell them. Kids in our youth group could be without Christ, family members could be without Christ, our friends could be without Christ, the people in the stores that we shop in could be without Christ, those in the movie theaters could be without Christ, so many are without Christ!! And what are we doing about it? Are we truly making a difference? Are we stepping out of our comfort zone to tell others? We must remember that we are Christ's servants - we serve Him, not man. Even though we may get embarrassed or humiliated or even hurt physically for our faith, we must remember that Christ will never leave us. Just as John 15:18-19 says we will be hated for our faith. Jesus was hated. And we, as His servants, will be hated also. But Jesus will never stop loving us. So what is keeping us back? Are we scared? Are we afraid we'll be embarrassed or ridiculed? Will we be hurt - physically or emotionally? Will we lose friends? Are we afraid we'll say the wrong thing or won't know what to say? Do you need to be motivated or inspired to share your faith? Do you need confidence? I really recommend www.wayofthemaster.com. That is the website that has gotten me pumped up to start witnessing. I saved up and bought the training kit, and it is amazing!! I absolutely love it! I haven't finished it yet and still haven't witnessed on the street (which is so incredibly scary), but I want to soon. Guys, this website and their kit will help you with self-confidence, what to say, and helps you through it will small steps. If you look at the website, you could look at audio lessons, the love test, watch video lessons, and so much more. Please, take the time to look at it all. I would begin with the love test if I were you - that's what I started with. It's...I don't have the right word for it. I just recommend you watch it. Also, pray about this, read your Bible, become motivated. And remember, this is our purpose! God loves us so incredibly much and has done so much for us - He died for us! Why can't we be willing to at least tell others about Him? about His love? We must warn people before it is too late. And we all must remember that God will be with us always. Hebrews 13:5b - "...because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you'." I've been praying lately about hosting a Bible study at my house maybe in later months and use the training kit. It was actually designed for group training which is good. Is that something anyone would be interested in or not? Just curious. I don't know if I will do it. It's just an idea. I hope this post has encouraged you! God bless!! :)