Wanting to share Christ?

 

The more I observe life and the activities of those who are Christian AND filled with the Holy Spirit, the more I’m convinced that the person who said “Share the gospel and sometimes use words” was on to something.

Consider this conversation between a Christian golfer and the person he was paired up with. That man said, “What’s your name?” introducing himself, the Christian said, “Phil Callaway,” and the man then asked, “Do you make the clubs?”

The Christian replied, “No, I pay people to do that” then quickly told him the truth. Then, when the conversation got past golf and the weather, it didn’t take long for the other man to  discover that Callaway was a Christian.

Then the other man said, “I’ve had awful experiences with Christians.” And Callaway responded with, “Really? Me, too.” He shared that this response opened the door for a lengthy discussion that had a positive and hopeful conclusion.

My husband tells of several golfers he’d never met or even talked to about his faith, but by the third or fourth hole, they apologized for taking the Lord’s name in vain.

The NT says: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” (Colossians 4:5) While this may include our words, it says “walk” not “talk” leaving me to think that if my life does not match the way God wants me to live, I’m wasting my time with words about trusting Jesus for forgiveness and a new life.

Not talking does not mean non-verbal stuff like the couple once spotted who wore jean jackets covered with “Jesus” buttons, literally covered. These two stood out, but not the way they thought. Callaway mentions pinning verses to our shirts or dropping Gospels of John on the fairway instead of taking every opportunity to live out our faith. 

Most of my examples are small. I once saw a small child in the foyer of a movie theatre holding a full cup of popcorn. Someone bumped her and her popcorn landed on the floor before she had taken one bite. She was crying. I didn’t know the child, but bought her a new popcorn. That was years ago, but Callaway’s story reminds me of it. I’m to let the Lord’s ‘first thought’ become action. It was not to rebuke the one who bumped her and then walk away with a “turn or burn’ scowl, but to show kindness to the upset child.

More recently, I took my purchases to a real person rather than use the noisy automatic checkout machines. I told her that I’d rather listen to her than a machine. She almost burst into tears and said, “That’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me all week.”

Some might say that the child nor the clerk knew that such actions come from the love of God, but they forget that the Holy Spirit has the ability to convey to others where kindness or any other obedient behavior comes from. My friends at this week’s birthday party did not need to spell it out or even need to say “God bless you” to make visible the extraordinary difference Christ has made in their lives. One of them, a non-Christian, told me how much she is blessed to hang out with those women. She is being drawn to the wonder of God’s goodness by the openness and integrity of their lives.

PRAY: The word that comes to mind is integrity. Jesus, my life and my words need to match. No mask. No pretense. No attitude of ‘holier than thou’ or efforts to look like a Christian (whatever that means), but just being who I am… warts and all, and letting You use me as You will. When I sing ‘just as I am’ that is what the words convey from my side of things, and You are amazing in how You use integrity to convey Your love and Your truths to others.
 

How to live each day . . .

 

 

Colossians 1-4

My parents were told I would not live past age 16. For that reason, I was protected rather than exposed to many of life’s lessons. This is one reason to love the Word of God — it teaches me how to live!

Most of Paul’s letters begin with theology, which verifies the thoughts of God. Then these epistles have a section on how to apply those thoughts. I see practical application in both sections. For instance, these verses tell me what God wants from me as well as how to pray:

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9–14)

That last statement declares why this prayer makes sense; I and the Christians on my prayer list are no longer living in the worldly dominion of sin but in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We are redeemed and forgiven, but the world, our old nature called the flesh, and our spiritual enemy resist that truth and do whatever they can to trip us into thinking nothing has changed and it is okay to go back to that sinful lifestyle.

However, Scripture makes liars out of the temptations of the world to our flesh and exposes where those lies come from. One example is the tendency of the old nature to want a list of rules to live by, but . . .

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:20–23)

Instead of self-effort to grow in godliness, the Bible tells me that I am in Christ and have all that I need when He fills me with His Spirit. Then I am able to be what He created me to be:

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12–17)

This is for all God’s people and for that reason, praying for them rides high on my daily to-do list. As Paul wrote:

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:2–6) and “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.” (Colossians 4:12)

Applying this means I get up from my chair, put on a jacket, and go for my daily prayer walk. It means I use these thoughts to pray for others, knowing that they outline the will of God for myself and others. It also means that sometimes God might ask me to be part of His answer to my prayers.

Lord, I’m so thankful for Your daily instructions for life. It may seem folly to those in that other kingdom, but for Your children living in this one, constant guidance from You helps me live effectively for You — in this life and forever.