A La Carte Christianity — Wednesday
Matthew 28:19-20
”Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NLT)
For some reason, the idea of evangelism used to always make me nervous. We’d hear the scripture in Matthew 28 in church and be told to share the gospel with everyone we came in contact with, but the idea of talking to people about God filled me with fear. It wasn’t that I didn’t love Jesus and didn’t want others to know about Him. It’s that I was afraid I’d end up in a worst-case scenario, finding myself in a heated theological discussion with someone and not being able to answer all of their questions or back up my faith with the right scripture.
Of course, as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that I don’t have to have all the answers. In fact, it’s not about me at all. Sharing my faith in Jesus with the world doesn’t necessarily mean the first words out of my mouth when I meet someone are, “Do you know who Jesus is?” Instead, God—in His grace and kindness—has led me to model His character and lead by example. He knows my strength is not in debating the context of Scripture; instead, it’s in demonstrating Jesus’ love, truth, and mercy in my everyday life and conversations.
Oftentimes, it’s acts of service that build relationships and trust, and it’s in those relationships that I’m able to share who Jesus is and what He’s done in my life and the lives of those around me. It is vital to be reading the Word of God regularly. It is vital to know what Jesus says and what His character is. It’s vital, though, not because it gives us the ability to spout off the right answers all the time, but because it impresses on our hearts who Jesus is and changes our hearts to love more like His—and that kind of love can’t help but be shared with others.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Who can you model Jesus’ love to today? How are you finding ways in your own life to reflect the character of Jesus? Think through the relationships and opportunities He’s given you, and make a choice to consciously serve them and demonstrate Jesus’ love to them this week.