Want To Do It, But Don’t Know How
Do you ever want to do something so much that you feel your heart ache and your whole body yearn for it to happen? Do you feel an inner calling or sense that someone is urging you on to fulfill some purpose? To be more specific, do you deeply desire to share the wonderful message of salvation in Jesus Christ? Do you feel God urging you on to spread the Good News? You do?
Me, too.
But at the same time that you feel this deep, inner urging from God and the desire to serve His purpose, are you also:
a) Scared from your head down to your toes at the idea of speaking to your friends, let alone a stranger or co-worker, about Jesus
b) Completely clueless on how to start a conversation about your faith
c) Confused or worried about coming off as “intolerant,” “bigoted,” “narrow-minded,” and so on, to those whom you want to share your witness
d) Intimidated if they start asking you questions that you don’t know the answer to, especially when the questions are meant to challenge you (you know those kind of questions—ones like, “If your God is such a God of love and mercy why does he allow death, murder, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah...”)
e) All of the above
Me too.
I am basically an introvert. That’s one of the reasons I like to write. I can sit here in front of my computer and type happily away as thoughts form in my brain and flow down through my fingertips. But I am also trying to be an extrovert in my daily life. I took a job in sales to help hone my skills in talking to people, meeting strangers and developing relations with them, with the goal of helping them meet their needs in business. I should be able to apply that confidence and experience gained as a salesperson to my witness for Christ, right? Then why don’t I?
You Have Beautiful Feet – God Calls Us to His Purpose:
For “anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells him? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!” But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news—the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:13-17
Why can we engage in seemingly meaningless conversations with our co-workers, friends, even strangers when it comes to things like the latest blockbuster movie out, a top ten song on the air that’s really cool, a favorite sport, or even the weather?
It’s because nothing is at stake.
When we share the saving message of salvation in Christ, everything is at stake. We are sharing something that is deeply personal and meaningful to us, but at the same time may touch a nerve in the person we are speaking to. More than that, it touches their soul. And it makes people uncomfortable when they hear it because deep down they know the message of Christ is true, yet they refuse it.
Look at what Romans 1:19-23 says:
“For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes.”
Can anyone say, Golden Calf? Hello!?
What’s up with that, huh?
So here we are with this desire to serve God. We are all over Matthew 28:19-20 and the Great Commission given to us from Christ – His last words on earth before being taken up into heaven. We are fired up and are jumping for Jesus. But then we look to the left, we look to the right, and say, “Okay, what next?” We are a little nervous, a bit timid perhaps, and unsure of how to get started doing this witnessing thing. And on top of that, the people we want to witness to are for the most part not in the least bit interested in hearing what we have to say. “No thank you, buh-bye. Take a hike.”
Hmm. So now what do we do?
That where the idea of “planting seeds” comes in. It’s a pretty simple idea. People have already been doing it for some time, whether on purpose or by instinct. What I aim to do with this book is provide you with a whole bunch of tools, examples, ideas, resources, and suggestions to help you tap into your own way of planting seeds.
Be a Seed Planter
My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. The ones who do the planting or watering aren’t important, but God is important because he is the one who makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose.
1 Corinthians 3:6-8
Here’s the basic idea:
We all have things that we are interested in doing. Some people love art. Others love music, or sports, or reading, or...you know what you like to do. For me, I am a big movie nut. I love the cinema, love going to movies, watching them on DVD, love discussing the plot points and characters with friends. Yeah, I’m a movie geek.
Well, what if we could take something that we enjoy doing already, something that we get all jazzed and excited about, and use it as a way to get a conversation started while also weaving into it the message of redemption and salvation in Christ? We’re not attempting a full-on conversion here, but instead simply introducing the message (kind of an under-the-radar approach—think “guerilla Christianity”) and then letting the Holy Spirit take it from there. In essence, we are “planting seeds” for God to water and grow. God may continue to use you to help the garden you planted grow, or He may move you on like lil’ Johnny Appleseed to plant seeds elsewhere while bringing in another farmer to tend the seed you planted. Who knows? But at least it’s a place where we can start and it’s an easy, non-confrontational way to begin sharing your witness. Just to give you an example of what I mean, I will use a movie example (movie geek that I am, and hey, it’s my book so why not, right?).
Most of you, or many at least, have seen “The Matrix.” We’ll talk more about this movie later in the “Examples” section of this book since much has been written about the religious symbolism in the movie. Neo (or the “One”) is played by Keanu Reeves and his character’s main purpose is to free the people from the “Matrix” – a computer enhanced dream world where people live while their bodies are held in captivity by the machines. Neo learns that another world, the real world, exists, and he is called upon to be the savior of the people. Neo is a true Christ-figure – he dies near the end of the first film and is resurrected, coming into his true being and power, to vanquish the enemy.
When you’re sitting around the water cooler at work talking about your favorite films with a co-worker and you bring up “The Matrix” – can you see how relating Neo to Jesus Christ in your conversation could be the opening you need to begin witnessing? Can you see how you might help a person who doesn’t really know about Jesus (but may think they do) begin to understand when you use something they do know (e.g., Neo in “The Matrix”) to provide context and make a connection? For example, one connection between Neo and Jesus would be to parallel the sacrifice Neo makes at the end of the trilogy—his very life—for the “salvation” or continued life of the people. Sacrifice, unconditional love, being a servant – these are all discussion points that could possibly come up in a conversation and be steered toward the sacrifice, love, and servant attitude of Christ. As well as the differences! Whereas Neo dies and that’s it, Christ dies for his people and yet lives! Do you see how many different ways your witness could take you? And all from a simple conversation on common ground about the movie, “The Matrix,” which you both like.
God Has Plans For Us
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10
Of course these examples only go so far and you will always want to be careful in how much you draw connections between the pop culture examples of our society and the message of salvation from sin through Christ Jesus.
But it’s a place to start, isn’t it? A place to get the conversation going and get past the fear of how to start and the worry about “coming on too strong” and turning people off. Hopefully, this idea of planting seeds can work for you, who, like me, cannot “preach like Paul” as the hymn goes:
“Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, ‘Who will go and work today?
Fields are white and harvests waiting, Who will bear the sheaves away?’
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If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus; You can say he died for all.
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Let none hear you idly saying, ‘There is nothing I can do,’
While the multitudes are dying, And the master calls for you.
Take the task he gives you gladly; Let his work your pleasure be.
Answer quickly when he calls you, ‘Here am I, send me, send me.’”
(Traditional hymn: “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling”)
More to follow...
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