Always remember that God, not man, is your source for everything. When you get turned down for the sale, or by the bank, or have a flat tire, or find yourself in a chemo ward, it’s never by accident when you’re living your life for God’s purpose. God never says “oops!” He’s up to something! People don’t expect you to love on them when things go south for you. It’s not natural, it’s supernatural, and every time you love on people, in Jesus’ name, when things are bad, you’re telling God your trust is in Him and not in man, and you unleash His provision for making everything in your life work for good!
Tag: Why Share
Change Your Environment
We’re all called to be salt and light, but what is it that they both have in common? They both change their environment. We cannot let our environment change us! We must continue to remember that God is our source for everything and we must fulfill His mandate to share His love with everyone we meet!
Life Is About Redemption
While we focus 99% of our attention on the things of this world, this world is not our home. We’re just ’a passin’ through. The brevity of our life on earth is almost meaningless in comparison to our everlasting life that begins at the end of our brief moment on earth.
Our life on earth is like an internship for Heaven. As creatures of free will, we’re given the opportunity to choose Heaven or Hell. If and when we choose Heaven — more correctly God’s Gift of Eternal Life through the Death and Resurrection of His Son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ — we’re given but one task to fulfill. To live our lives for His Purpose, which is the Redemption of Mankind.
We’re called to be the salt of the earth and God has salted the earth with our presence. In every country and every situation, with every type of skill and expertise, we are to use all for His Glory. Wherever God has planted you, from being a critical care patient in a hospital to being the leader of a country, it’s your Mission Field. There are no exceptions.
If you’re in a difficult place, don’t waste the opportunity! Your light shines brighter in darkness. Your opportunity to lead people to Jesus is enhanced and you’re in the middle of a spiritual growth spurt. Live your life for His Purpose, the redemption of those around you, in every situation and watch how God uses your suffering to lead those watching you closer to Him.
To put things in perspective, consider how you’ll view your life on earth 1,000 years from now…or a trillion years from now. In the presence of our Holy God, all thoughts of human accomplishment will be laughable if even remembered. The only thing of value from your earthly life, for Eternity, will be how many people are in Heaven because of your influence.
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store treasures in Heaven Matthew 6:19-20. By holding on to this focus, the sharing of your faith will become as automatic as breathing. For where your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also Matthew 6:21.
Romans 12:2 says it best: Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. So that you can say with the Apostle Paul, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). And hear God say, Well done thou good and faithful servant…enter into thy reward Matthew 25:23.
Yes! Life is about Redemption!
Be Intentional
Our lives are filled to overflowing with good and righteous things to do with our lives. And yet, every day, reality sets in and most of the things we want to do are pushed aside by the things we have to do. This is why most people feel like their lives are out of control…with no hope in sight.
But there is hope! In fact, it’s a promise from God to make everything in your life work for good. Everything! Chances are you already know about this promise without living it out in complete peace for the rest of your life.
But it’s more than a promise. It’s a contract between you and God, and He’s more than ready to fulfill His end of the contract. It’s up to you to complete it. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things will work for good for those who love God and live according to His Purpose…and His Purpose is very clear. Jesus came to seek and save the lost…that none should be lost. That was and is His Purpose. And when you live your life for His Purpose, you complete your end of the contract.
But this is a contract (and a promise) that’s only valid when you keep your end of the bargain. And what a bargain it is! Leading everyone, every day, closer to Jesus in return for having God Himself making everything in your life work for good. You get to be a continual blessing to everyone around you while having God, the Creator of Everything, be a continual blessing to you.
But it has to be intentional every moment of every day. If it’s not intentional, you’ll only experience a few of the opportunities God places in your path. The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord as are the steps of those He wants you to influence. Indeed, your days are filled with amazing opportunities that you’ll only enjoy when you’re expecting them to happen. You have to be intentional!
Whole Hearted Faith
We’re called “people of faith” for a reason. We place our faith in God and not in ourselves. Are you in the midst of worrying about something? Are you ever worry that God might not answer your prayers over something? That’s not faith! That’s lack of faith and without faith, it’s impossible to please God. In James 1, God tells us He will answer our prayers and give us what we want when we ask with unwavering faith, which means without worry. It’s impossible for faith and worry to coexist. If you want to believe more, you need to share your faith more, because the two are inextricably connected!
Tough Questions Are Fun
Even those who’ve attended church for decades are afraid of being asked questions they can’t answer. But no one expects you to have all the answers. You’re not a Pastor and you’re not a Bible Scholar. So all pressure on this point is self-imposed. Jesus said they’ll know you’re His disciple by your love — not your Bible knowledge.
Having said that, people are searching for answers to their questions and God has answers for every one of them. Your goal is to connect their questions to His Answers and that’s where the fun begins.
It’s so easy! When you don’t have an answer to a question, simply tell the person you don’t have the answer, but God does. And then ask their permission to pray for them over the next few days as you search the scriptures for the answer. They’ll never say no.
Set a time for your next meeting and then watch your Prayer Life and Bible Study explode over those next few days. With the pressure on you to connect the right scriptures with the question being asked, your Bible Study and Prayers will ignite with razor-sharp focus and purpose. It will change everything! And God will always provide the answer you’re looking for. Always!
When your cry is for knowledge and you seeketh her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasure, then shalt thou understand and find the knowledge of God…for the Lord giveth wisdom Proverbs 2:4-6. Here’s the best part: Sharing God’s inspired answers to questions being asked by seekers is guaranteed to put a bounce in your step. And through the process, your own understanding of God increases. It’s a Double Blessing!
It’s a Team Sport
In this day and age, almost no one comes to the Lord in one step. It’s a process that has many steps along the way, including pastoral sermons, messages heard on TV and radio, articles read, and listening to Christians sharing their faith or being observed from a distance. Seeds are constantly being sown and some take longer than others to germinate. Some fall on hard ground and never germinate.
It’s interesting that a seed has its own energy source and remains dormant until it’s in the right environment. In like form, spiritual seeds sown into the lives of unbelievers often remain dormant until the right environment is achieved…the most common being a life challenge that God is using to get their attention.
The average person hears the Gospel message seven or more times before making their Eternal Decision. That’s why lots of seeds need to be sown into the lives of unbelievers. And it’s why God’s Purpose for Your Life is to move everyone, every day, closer to Jesus. It’s a rare occasion when you get to be the one to actually lead them across the finish line.
Ultimately, their decision will be largely influenced by their positive or negative perception of the Christians in their lives…including you. Whether you like it or not, you’re viewed by the world as an expert witness, either for the defense or the prosecution of the Gospel. You can’t escape it. Either way you’re a witness!
You’ll rarely know where unbelievers are in their spiritual journey. What you do know is that they’re on a journey, the Holy Spirit is dealing with them and you’re one of many people God’s appointed to lead them to Him. Here’s a good tip: Every time you finish leading someone closer to God, pray for their increased sensitivity to God and ask the Holy Spirit to hasten their next spiritual encounter. On rare occasions, you will have the privilege to be there at the right time to actually help someone make that ultimate decision. Whenever that happens, praise God for all of those who played their own role in that person’s Salvation. Indeed, it’s a Team Sport!
Salvation Is Not Your Responsibility
Most of us are results oriented. Being stopped at the one-yard line is not our idea of success. If we don’t score the touchdown, we’re a loser. Life is about competition, winning and celebrating victories. That’s our mindset and it’s a good one, except when we’re sharing our faith — then that’s a difficult pill for most of us to swallow. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than the hardened heart of someone you’ve shared your faith with, staying resolute in their rejection of God’s Gift of Eternal Life.
But we can’t save anyone. That’s beyond our pay grade. We didn’t send our only begotten Son to die on the cross or pay the ultimate price that Jesus paid as a sacrifice for our sins. Only God can forgive sins and give the Gift of Eternal Life. Our calling, our purpose in life, is to be His Witnesses. Here’s the bottom line, whether we like it or not, every Christian is viewed by the world as an expert witness either for the defense or the prosecution of God’s relationship with mankind. Everything you say and do is either moving people toward God or away from God — and there are serious consequences for not being on the right side of that equation.
God’s appointed us as “Watchmen on the Wall.” We’re told in Ezekiel 33 if we warn those under our influence that the enemy is coming and they refuse to heed our warning, they’ll die in their sin. But if we don’t warn them, they’ll die in their sin but their blood will be on our hands. God holds us responsible for how we use the influence He’s given us.
Rejection Is a Blessing
The fear of rejection is a serious impediment to most faith sharers. At the very least, fear leads to timidity and often stops Christians from sharing their faith altogether. The old adages of “you shouldn’t talk about politics and religion,” “to each his own,” “different strokes for different folks,” and “you have no right to impose your thoughts on other people” are inherent in our culture but contrary to scripture. People are lost, but how are they going to know unless someone tells them? Unless you tell them?
The image of the bearded man with a sign saying “The End is Near” or “Jesus Saves” comes to mind real fast. Indeed, it’s possible to have a heart for the lost and yet, with the best of intentions, push people away from God. While the message of the Gospel is sacred and we dare not change it, our methods for reaching the lost may vary widely depending on those we’re trying to reach. This is where the leading of the Holy Spirit becomes extremely intimate.
God’s already working with everyone with whom we come in contact. And every time we have a spiritual conversation, we’re entering into a sacred relationship, already in process, as a third-party endorser. That adds an entirely new dimension to every faith sharing experience.
Jesus told us in John 13:35 that they’ll know you’re His disciples by your love. As a church, we’ve become quite proficient at telling people they’re going to Hell while failing miserably at telling people how much God loves them. That message stops most people in their tracks. Most people feel they’re separated from God’s love or that God couldn’t love them after all the things they’ve done.
It’s often fun to watch the response after telling someone God loves them, followed by saying God loves them as much as He’s ever loved anyone, followed by saying God loves them as much as He loves His Own Son, Jesus Christ. Most people are not offended by the message of God’s love and His desire for them to spend Eternity with Him in Heaven.
Nevertheless, rejection and ridicule are always a possibility for those actively sharing their faith. It boils down to whether you fear God or fear man. Are you more afraid of offending God or offending man? Putting it in that perspective, there’s no contest. Matthew 10:33 tells us whoever denies Me before man, I will also deny before My Father in Heaven. Moving everyone, every day, closer to Jesus is your guarantee that God will never deny you before His Father.
There is, however, an additional silver lining. There’s a special blessing for those who suffer rejection. During His Sermon on the Mount, captured in Mathew 5, Jesus said that blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My Sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in Heaven…
