After a very tough week, I decided to rent a movie and stop by a local fast food restaurant to grab a bite to eat. I had a coupon for this restaurant, so it made this idea even better. While I was waiting in line, I met a man who had just completed his work for the day. He was planning to grab some dinner and go home to relax. We did the normal small talk that everyone does while waiting in line. However, he said something that stuck with me.
The man told me that he would like to grab a few beers when he gets home. He did not mean anything negative by this, but I was struck that he relied on alcohol to calm down and relieve his sorrows. Why was I struck by this statement? I responded to him by saying that I typically watch a television show and pray. I was struck more by my response than his original comment.
God reminded me that I am His son, and that He desires everyone to come to know Him personally. I had a great opportunity to tell the man that I rely on God each and every day. Now, I watch a television show to help me relax at the end of the day, but my source of strength is God Almighty. It is through prayer and reading God's word that I find the strength and encouragement to make it through the day. I wonder what would have happened if I told the man exactly what I just told each of you.
I was reminded this week that life is indeed hard, but it is also very short. We may only have one chance to share the Gospel or show God's love to individuals. This is why it is so important that we develop a mindset focused on evangelism. I think a lot of us go through each and every day focused on ourselves instead of on serving God through evangelism. Many of us do not have a heart for evangelism.
It is very sad when we think about it since God has done such a great work in our lives. He has saved us from Hell and provided for our needs on multiple occasions. Take a moment and think back to one of those moments. Do you have that thought in mind? Why then are we different from those who do not know Jesus Christ personally? The difference is that someone cared about us so much to tell us that God loves us and that we are sinners. It is through the shedding of Christ's blood on the cross that we came to know Jesus Christ personally.
If we could get a heart for evangelism and discipleship, then we would see this world change. I added discipleship into the last sentence because I believe it is essential for older Christians to teach new converts about living righteously and following God. In order to develop a heart of evangelism, one must be reminded of who he/she once was and realize that people each day are dying without knowing Jesus Christ personally. This will change our mindset that is focused on us, rather than on others. You don't think so? Ok, when was the last time you thought about who you once were and that there are people around you each day that do not know Jesus Christ? My prayer is that you already have a heart for evangelism, but I realized that I need to improve in this area. I ask that you would pray for me that God would develop this heart in my life.
I will have an upcoming opportunity to share the Gospel on one day as Southwestern fulfills the Take the Hill campaign. This campaign is designed to present the Gospel to every person within an immediate radius of the campus. I am so thankful for a school that places an emphasis on evangelism. Please pray for us as we go out and share the Gospel. Pray for the people we encounter as well that their hearts will be open to hearing God's word. Lastly, pray that we, as a campus, develop a heart for evangelism.
I realize that some of my posts are not easy to digest. Please realize that I am speaking as much to myself as I am to each of you, but the way I see it is that we can relax on evangelism and discipleship when we get to Heaven. Now is not the time to sit on the sideline. We need to get in the game, and we are not limited on the number of people that can be on the court or field. There is an open invitation to serve Jesus Christ. Will you let Him lead you?
