On occasion, I can be an overthinker. Sometimes an issue can come up, and I spend a great deal of time thinking about various ways to approach it. I try to play out in my mind several scenarios and attempt to evaluate the best course of action. This isn’t always a bad thing, but sometimes, it can be. If we are not careful, we can waste a good deal of time worrying about simple things.
One place where I have overthought is in preaching. Preaching and teaching should take time and thought, but they also should be very organic and simple. Consider the preaching in the book of Acts. The preaching of the apostles was not rehearsed and recited, and neither was it complex or fancy. The speakers preached what they knew and related to their audiences that Jesus is King, that He has been raised from the dead and that He offers freedom from and forgiveness for sins.
Consider these points the next time you want to share the Gospel with someone, especially if you are an overthinker and get distracted or worry and wonder how it will be accepted. Jesus and the apostles preached to everyone but did not reach everyone. They just sowed, and that is all we can do. Plant, water and let God take care of the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).
[Editor’s Note: For many years, I spent too much time trying to decide what to preach, which left less time to make the actual preparation to preach. Finally, I realized that it mattered less what I preached from God’s Word, in most instances, as long as I preached from God’s Word. After all, we’re called upon to preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), but not in the same sitting lest our auditors fall asleep and fall out a window (Acts 20:9). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
