December 6: Be loud about the right things

John, the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus. He was loud and odd and shouted "Repent!" to the people that would listen. He was preparing people to meet Jesus. I have been thinking for the past week about this guy. He really is one of my favorite characters in the Gospels.

John had such a serious job, and he took it seriously too. The burden of the message and his love of the people motivated him to persevere. He is the first preacher to talk about confessing your sins or taking your life in a new direction.

I often hear loud people with loud opinions and pray for them to stand up for what it is right. I pray for all of that energy and fervor to be about making His name famous. I personally do not want to be known for my boldness. I want to be known for my message. If I need to be loud, may the message still be clear and not get lost in the volume of my voice and the craziness of my outfit or for the unusual food that I eat.

Listen to how the cousin of Jesus is described in Mark 1:
 And John came baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all of the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message:  After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.