I'm new here. Glad to have found this. I was thinking of starting something like this up myself but I found this so I guess I won't. :)

Anyway, I do campus ministry on my college campus as a student. I'm not full or part-time, I'm just a student and I lead a Christian organization on campus headed by campus ministers from our church.

Lately, God has been challenging me in my obedience but I'm having problems with consistency. The main problem comes from when God asks me to open-air preach or something similar. While I know I have it in me because I get very passionate, I tend to shy away because, I admit, I am scared from being mistreated when I was younger; i.e. bullied, made fun of, etc.

While I know God will never leave me or forsake me, what can man do unto me, be bold for the Lord is with me, I still have trouble executing when God asks me to.

Just looking for some advice and maybe some personal experience because, again I admit, I truthfully dread people laughing at me, sneering or misunderstanding me.

3/5/2009 9:04:58 PM by sirkibble2, Member of Delve into Jesus since 3/5/2009

God never calls us to do anything He does not equip us to do. When preaching the gospel, it's not about you. It's all about Him. Study to show yourself approved and when He says "Go", you go, for He has gone before you to prepare the way. Don't end up in the belly of a whale. And don't be Gideon or Jeremiah. Just be the man of God He has called you to be.

3/6/2009 11:07:10 PM by mrspiggy, Member of Delve into Jesus since 1/18/2008

sirkibble2,

Welcome! It's great to have you here.

I know exactly how you feel. The closest experience I can share with you is the response I get to articles I've written here on the site. The comments I get can be very nasty, intimidating and discouraging. However, I learned recently that it can turn around and become a real gift if I allow God to be in control.

Last week, someone wrote some scathing comments on their blog, calling one of my articles, "the worst I've read in a long time." I was so upset! It's one of the things I fear most in this ministry.

I allowed myself to calm down and really analyze the situation, and I came to this conclusion: I am trying to preach the Word, and someone has accused me of doing a terrible job. One of two outcomes in possible, either I really am doing a bad job and I can learn how to do it better, or this person is completely wrong and I have nothing to fear. So, with that conviction in my heart, I replied to their blog and asked them to tell me exactly what was wrong with it.

After some dialog, it turns out that he gave me some suggestions on how to make it better, and I gave him some new ways to look at apologetics. In the end, we both became more skilled and knowledgeable, and that can only mean good things for God's Kingdom.

So, my advice would be this - if the worst thing happens and people ridicule you, keep it in perspective. Either you're right, and you have nothing to fear, or else God will use the experience as a tool to sharpen you. Either way, when you love God and sincerely want to serve Him, nothing truly bad can happen. He will use even your failures to make you stronger.

I hope this helps! Good luck, let us know how you're making out.

3/9/2009 12:16:11 PM by Michael Lane, Executive Director, Delve Christian Ministries