Being labelled a Religious Fanatic

Many of us Christians don't verbally share our faith because of a fear of being labelled by others a

religious fanatic or a Jesus freak.

As people we so naturally want people to like us and accept us that we automatically live in such a calculated way so that we don't offend anyone. This is the politically correct culture we live in. A world that tells us to be careful and avoid thinking, saying, doing anything that may offend a single soul in the slightest.

 Here are a three points that I hope will help you overcome this obstacle.

1. Cultivate a fear of God. Scripture tells us in Matthew 28:10 to not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, we should be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

2. Answer this question, if a person dies without Christ where will they spend eternity? Some Christians can struggle with answering this one. Scripture tells us in Revelation 21:8 that the unbeliever's fate will be the fiery lake of burning sulfur which is the second death. Our love for the lost should causes us to swallow our fears and insecurities and to reach out to them with the gospel.

3. Get used to the fact that some people in the world will always think this about you and may even hate you. When Jesus talked with crowds some listened, believed and cherished him as the Saviour, others listened and thought He was a babbling idiot. So be prepared to leave the results of your witness to God. Jesus said something to his disciples in John 15:18-19 which I think is very relevant to us regarding this third point. He said to them "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you." 

So today cultivate the fear of God, meditate on the terrible fate of those tho die without Christ and remember that the world hated Jesus, so expect some opposition.