Even if you know that you don’t have to be perfect, this can still be a nagging feeling. But someone observed that sharing the gospel is not about how impressive you are. It is more like one beggar telling other beggars where to find food.
In Unit 5 we saw that God uses weak people to show His strength,
Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)
So we don’t have to be a star athlete, the ideal hostess, have the best kids, or be the top performer at work to be able to share our faith. And if we still have some rough edges or feet of clay it is a reason to let them know that God is gracious.
Peter is a good example of someone who loved the Lord, was a leader in the church, yet was far from perfect. In the Gospels we see him being impulsive, saying the wrong thing, cutting off a guy’s ear, and denying Christ three times. And long after Christ’s resurrection, in the church at Antioch, he gave in to an episode of hypocrisy so much that Paul had to publicly confront him (Galatians 2:11-14). Thank goodness Peter’s story is in the Bible. It gives us all hope that God still loves us and can use us despite our failures.
But Peter was humble, faithful and loved the Lord. He was willing to repent and immediately turn from anything he knew displeased the Lord. And some of his mistakes were because he was the one who so wanted to “get in there” with all his might. He didn’t play it safe.
While we aren’t perfect, still, we must live honorably and in love. Peter himself gave this counsel to us,
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. (1 Peter 2:12 HSCB)
So, be a good neighbor and by all means don’t cheat people or do anything dishonorable. In Peter’s day Christians were persecuted and accused of all sorts of wrongs. He says just make sure it isn’t true!