God Rebuked Me to Share—Twice

A few years ago, I attended a wedding in Colorado and unexpectedly ran into Doug, an old high school friend I hadn’t seen in over 20 years. From what I’d heard through mutual friends, Doug had once been a strong Christian—active in church, leading Bible studies, living out his faith.

That’s why what he told me at the wedding caught me completely off guard.

Our conversation was brief, but just before we parted, he casually mentioned that he was now an atheist. I was stunned. Just a year earlier I’d heard about his deep involvement in church life. What had happened?

It bothered me for days. But I also understood more than he probably realized. I’d been through my own season of doubt, wondering if God was even real. I knew what it was like to question everything. (Read about that here.)

Wrestling with Obedience

I felt a persistent nudge from God: Share your testimony with Doug.

My testimony—how God revealed Himself to me and restored my faith—was personal and precious. But doubts started rolling in:

• What if he thinks I’m crazy?
• What if he rejects it—or me?
• He’s in Colorado, I’m in Iowa… how would I even start?

For weeks, I went back and forth. But the prompting never went away. Every day I sensed the Holy Spirit whispering: Share your story. Be obedient. Let Me handle the rest.

And still… I hesitated.

A Direct Answer

One night, I prayed:

“Lord, if You really want me to share my testimony with Doug, please make it crystal clear. Speak to me so I’ll know.”

The very next morning, I opened my email to find a new devotional from Shaun King titled “Sharing Your Faith.”

It began with a quote from Penn Jillette, a well-known atheist from the magician duo Penn & Teller:

“How much do you have to hate someone to believe in Heaven and Hell and not tell them about it?”

Penn had said this after a man at one of his shows kindly gave him a Bible and humbly shared his faith. While Penn didn’t believe, he respected the man for caring enough to speak up. What angered him was the idea that Christians could claim to believe in eternal life—and then stay silent.

Shaun’s devotional hit me square in the heart:

“Our faith is not a private faith.
It’s not a keep-it-to-yourself faith.
It’s a tell-the-whole-world-because-you-can’t-contain-yourself kind of faith.”

It was like God had answered my prayer overnight—loudly and clearly.

A Double Confirmation

Shaken but excited, I forwarded the devotional to my wife, who was at work. But the second I hit Send, a new email from her popped into my inbox. The subject line read: “YOU HAVE TO READ THIS.”

She had just sent me the exact same devotional—from a completely different source.

Two identical messages, minutes apart, from two people who hadn’t coordinated at all. If that wasn’t God confirming my prayer, I don’t know what was.

Trusting God with the Outcome

So, I obeyed. I emailed Doug my testimony.

A few days later, he replied. Like Penn Jillette, he thanked me for caring and acknowledged my sincerity… but said he still didn’t believe in God.

For a moment, I felt discouraged. But then the Lord reminded me:

“The outcome isn’t your responsibility. The obedience is.”

My job was to plant the seed. God’s job was to change the heart.

The Lesson

That experience reminded me of three powerful truths:

• God knows me intimately.
• He hears my prayers.
• He speaks in ways I can’t miss.

And He calls us to share His message—not just with those we think will receive it, but with everyone He puts on our hearts.

We might not see the results right away. Maybe not ever. But as Shaun King’s devotional said:

“Maybe they’ll reject the Gospel. But maybe, just maybe, they won’t. Maybe God will use you as a springboard into their heart.”

So don’t hold back. If you believe in the hope of Jesus, share it. Even if all you do is plant the seed, God can bring the growth.

PRAYER

Father, I worship You. Thank You for the power of Your Spirit and the gift of Your Son. Fill me with boldness to be a fearless witness for Jesus, speaking of Him with joy and conviction. What an honor it is to share the greatest news ever told—that for our sake, You made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. I stand in awe of Your boundless love, Your tender mercy, and Your amazing grace. All glory to You forever.

Amen.