WHEN you’ve been captivated by Christ, you want to obey and serve him. In a big way, this means sharing him.
It’s a strange thing, being compelled to share the Gospel. But how?
Not everyone does it. Some keep Jesus all to themselves. Maybe it’s because they’re embarrassed. Or maybe it’s because they never thought about the slingshot way to share faith.
Some people are amazingly courageous. They have the true spirit of a prophet and are not afraid to stand up anywhere and preach the Word of God.
I’ve tried this a few times on the buses and trains in Buenos Aires. It’s terrifying. You sit there as the Spirit fills you with courage, and you tremble at the same time. You get up and speak in a loud voice and all eyes turn to you. The crowd looks at you as if you are crazy. Some look away and ignore you. Others nod in agreement.
Nobody talks to you after you finish proclaiming the Good News. At least they never did to me.
So I ask, “Is this the way the Lord wants me to spread his message?” It’s kind of a shotgun technique. Messy. Potentially effective. Not for everyone, that’s for sure.
John the Baptist pulled this off with great effectiveness. But he was THE voice preparing the way for the Lamb of God.
If I practice this kind of evangelization in my community, will I be labelled a religious nut? Who will take me seriously then? Should I care? Am I afraid I’ll be socially beheaded?
I think I should care, but for other reasons. Jesus was a master strategist. If you study the Gospels, you can see how God’s plan methodically unfolded in the life of Christ. Nothing random at all. Yes, Jesus was a prophet, but every word and gesture had a purpose. Nothing went to waste. And he waited patiently for his time.
NOW, what if you put all your spiritual firepower… behind a single shot?
When you pull back a slingshot, you feel the tension build in the cords. The farther you pull back, the more power behind the shot. You know when you release the stone it will fly, fast and hard. Impact.
How does this work, the sling shot, when it comes to sharing Jesus? It’s spiritual tension. I don’t mean stress. I’m not talking about anxiety.
What I desire is to build up enough potential energy that when I do share God’s word… it makes an impact. It breaks through.
If I do this in a cheesy, insincere kind of way… you know what I mean… the Jesus loves you crowd that says what they have to say, but you just don’t feel anything behind it. It’s not bad. They aren’t bad. But the effort is flimsy.
Does it depend on me? No. Of course not. God transforms anyone, anytime according to his will.
But if I am faithful, God’s faithfulness shines through.
So maybe, sometimes, when it comes to sharing your faith, it means this…
Pray day after day after day for ONE person. Mount up a prayer campaign.
Cry out to God for them. Why? Because it changes you too. Your capacity to give and love grows in the process. Nothing goes to waste in God’s plan.
Stay alert for a clear shot. You may have to wait years. You may fire and miss, or the stone may bounce off a steel door.
But keep the spiritual tension up. Not by talking to the person and wearing them down, but by knocking on the door to heaven in intercession.
Slowly, your motives become purified until God decides it’s time.
You release your shot. It flies straight and true. And it makes an impact. It breaks through. And a seed of hope is planted in good soil.
You might not even know it happened. You might think it was another wasted shot. But the heart knows. The Spirit knows. And when the timing, circumstances and God’s grace are present, NOTHING can stop the process.
The tsunami of God’s love rises up deep inside the person. The waters are parted and the path to liberation cannot be closed.
The giant of sin falls down dead in their life.
A soul is reborn. And you give glory to God.
Time to reload.
BE NOT ASHAMED.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
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