Have you ever tried to share your faith with a family member or friend, and met only scorn and skepticism, perhaps ridicule? If you have, you are certainly not alone. Even in the New Testament the great evangelist Paul met with this response many times.
I know I have found this to be very discouraging, but I am reminded by the Holy Spirit that I am either planting a seed, or watering one that someone else has planted. Many (most) times we will not see the harvest, but we will certainly receive our reward for our part in the cultivation process.
So take heart, don't give up, keep praying, and keep sharing your faith. Live your life with joy, finding peace in your faith. In many ways that will be the greatest witness you can ever make.
Amazing grace and eternal peace to you today,
Bruce
Lord, help us as we share our testimony and Your message with the world around us.
We find so many who are like Agrippa; uninterested, unpersuaded, and often times hardened.
Help us to persevere and not give up or become discouraged.
We pray that you would soften the hearts of those we seek to reach for You.
Just like You did for Lydia open their hearts to receive our message of hope and salvation.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
 | Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca |
Bruce has hit on something very important. I believe one of our most effective acts of evangelism is living our life by example: with joy and peace in our faith. As I have quoted Cardinal Bernadin before: “We must be about winning hearts and minds before we can preach the gospel” Amen to that. Have a blessed and joyous long week-end everyone.
ReplyDeleteMichael
It is discouraging, because we humans tend look at someone agreeing with us and coming onside as being a validation of our own faith. But I think of Jesus' words, when He told us that if others won't receive the Gospel, kick their dust off our feet and move on.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't mean to give up on them or curse them out for being blind idiots, but to treat them as a farmer treats a plowed field. The farmer plants the seeds, but then moves on to the next furrow: he doesn't stand over the seed and stare at it -- or even yell at it -- until it takes root and grows. That seed will sprout no matter what he does. The farmer's job is to keep on planting and trust that God will do the rest. So it has to be with our evangelism.
And the fruits do come up: my dad is a great example, having been surrounded by secular humanism and the thought that man's reason is the highest thing. He is spiritual: he prays, but I'm not sure he's really acquainted with what he's praying to. Not yet, anyway. Indeed, I think he was a little horrified to learn that his only offspring had sold out to Christ.
But little by little, through respectful discussion and seeing the fruits -- including a miraculous healing from prostate cancer that, in his heart of hearts, I know he realizes was from God -- and, in fact, talking at length with Amelia (my wife, whom he adores) about faith matters, he's starting to have his eyes opened.
I wish this were my line: water flowing over a rock has the same effect as a hammer -- it just takes longer and is more effective.