No doubt there are some of you reading this that can relate
to what’s about to follow which is based on my experience as a young Christian
“growing up in the church” (the denomination is not important). What is
important is the final outcome of many years of personal and spiritual
reflection and biblical study on how to be a verbal witness to people about
Jesus and a personal relationship with God our Father without any pressure or
fear.
Before going to heaven, the command of Jesus is very clear
about telling people about Him. Mk. 16:15 NLT. And then He told them,
“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone”.
For many people this is intimidating and not easy to do.
We’re not all evangelists and we don’t have to go out making cold calls or knocking
on doors to spread the gospel. Those who are gifted in this have no issue. When
a person makes to decision to follow Jesus they are given gifts by God’s
Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:11 NLT. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes
all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
We don’t have to have any degrees in biblical studies, a
title or even have all the answers. Certainly formal teaching is good yet our
own individual study of God’s word is also vital and as we absorb that word it
becomes a part of our essence. That is what proceeds out of us as we engage in
conversation with people.
So here we are at the crux of all this. I recently had a
random conversation with a man at the grocery store that started as we met at
an aisle and I let him go ahead of me. I commented on the price of certain
foods as he was staring at the shelves. From there, to my surprise, within just
a few minutes we had exchanged personal family information and here we are,
total strangers; no thought on my part of being ridiculed or told to mind my
own business. It just seemed to happen naturally. We spoke for only that few
moments and moved on. Afterward I really understood what my wife has said many
times that most people are quite comfortable talking to me and how easy it was
to walk through that open door of opportunity with no fear. It was as natural
as breathing.
John Spicer
www.mastershandministry.blogspot.com
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