During my early teen years, I remember going with my family to what was then called the Gideon Convention. We spent a week at the Inn on the Park in Toronto (currently a Toyota and Lexus dealership) and our days were filled with activities. As my parents attended meetings pertaining to the Gideon's (now Share Word Global), my sister and I attended workshops, concerts, and banquets designed to teach young people about evangelism.
One afternoon we were instructed to choose a partner and head to a nearby park where we were encouraged to engage strangers in a gospel conversation. Armed with "The Four Spiritual Laws" we were sent out two by two. I can still see myself wandering the park, trying to muster up the courage to approach someone and start talking with them. Anyone who thinks I'm shy and quiet now, needed to know the teenage me. I was painfully and undoubtedly an introvert. I had trouble speaking to people I knew, never mind people I had never met. That afternoon had to be one of the longest afternoons in history and in the end, I felt like such a failure as I never found the boldness to approach one person.
In Romans, Paul tells us that God has given us the privilege to tell what God has done to bring salvation so that others can believe, come to know Him and walk in obedience, but do we really see this gift as a privilege? A privilege is a special benefit or opportunity, but I'll be honest, the fear I felt on that day only filled my heart with dread, not delight.
I think often times we miss the privilege because we make sharing the Good News into a formal formula instead of letting it flow from doing life with others. My mom was the perfect example of someone who lived lifestyle evangelism. Instead of seeing sharing the gospel as an event, set for a specific time, it was always and simply who she was and what she did. In my eyes, she never missed an opportunity to bring glory to His name as she naturally brought the Lord into every conversation.
One of my favourite examples was an afternoon I was enjoying coffee with mom in the café area at the nursing home where she was a resident. At one point she left our table to speak to the gal at the front desk and when she did the lady sitting at the table adjacent to us leaned over and inquired, "Is that your mother?" When I responded "yes", she then began to tell me how she often notices my mom when she's visiting her family member and commented on how beautifully my mother always appeared. When mom returned, I shared with her the kind comments that had been spoken. My mom immediately turned her chair around and thanked this woman saying, "My daughter told me the sweet words you shared with her, but if you see anything beautiful about me it's because I pray every morning that the beauty of Jesus will be seen in me. What you are really seeing is the beauty of Jesus." As I instantly thought, "Oh boy, guess that will end the discussion quickly", this lady turned her chair around, asking if she could join us as she'd love to hear more. Minutes later mom was sending me off to our church to bring back free tickets to an upcoming worship presentation this new friend now desired to attend. That was my mom. She never hesitated to share about her Lord.
Mom knew the pardon she had received from her Saviour, and the privilege it is to share the truth of the gospel. Enthusiasm and joy should fuel our evangelism when Christ abides in us. We may need to reframe and shift our mindset, removing the pressure of a perfect presentation and instead pointing to a perfect Person, embracing the incredible privilege of partnering with the Lord in sharing the greatest message ever told!
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