PHILADELPHIA (BRN) – Here we are in the middle of February, with snow coming, dissolving and the temperatures giving us just a hint of spring on those extra sunny days. As winter (very) slowly starts to fade, most of us have already failed at or simply forgotten about our New Year’s resolutions.
Whatever yours were — and whether you have kept them or not — I want to suggest a Missions Minded “March-resolution:” Keep track of your spiritual conversations with friends.
This past year, I started keeping track of “when, who, where and what” in the spiritual conversations I had with my friends. What I found was surprising.
1. I started sharing the gospel much more often
I don’t know why keeping track of my spiritual conversations led to many more gospel encounters, but it did! There is a popular saying: “what gets measured, gets improved.” This was certainly true for me.
After a few weeks of writing nothing in my “gospel journal,” I saw that I did not share the gospel nearly as often as I thought. So, I began being more intentional: spending more time with my lost friends and actively seeking out opportunities in our conversations to share the gospel and/or talk about spiritual things. Now, this did not always lead to gospel-sharing, but more often than not it did!
2. I noticed the places where sharing felt easier and more natural
Before I started writing down my spiritual conversations, I had a pretty “standard formula” for gospel sharing. Most of the time, I would meet a college student (usually an international guy) at a larger event where I would get his phone number and invite him to hang out with me at a coffee shop.
However, when I started writing down my gospel conversations, I noticed that much of this “formula” was either inefficient or did not work at all. Usually, at the coffee shop, we did not talk about spiritual things, and even when we did, it was a short, surface-level discussion.
Conversely, when I invited someone to my apartment (which is close to campus), we often hung out a longer time and talked about much deeper topics, including the gospel. Similarly, when I invited someone to go on a hike or walk, we often had much deeper conversations.
Maybe I am more comfortable in those environments? Maybe a coffee shop is too busy? I don’t know. What I do know is that in nature, or in my apartment, both my friend and I build a closer relationship more quickly, and that usually results in spiritual conversations
3. I started lifting up my eyes to the harvest
In John 4, Jesus says to his disciples, “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35, ESV).
When I looked up, I saw the great numbers of people who were longing for spiritual truth. Most will deny it, and most believe that they can be satisfied apart from Christ alone, but they are wrong.
When I focused my attention on my own action of obedience – verbally proclaiming the gospel of Christ – I saw the plight of the lost. I saw how many people I know who have never had a clear gospel presentation, and then I saw how I could share with them.
I am not advocating for tracking gospel conversations as a way to increase our pride, or to make ourselves seem “better than” other Christians. I am certainly not advocating for an approach that denies the leading of the Spirit, or one that minimizes His work, for without His activity, our efforts are useless (John 3:8).
What I am advocating for is a way to be more intentional, a way to be more informed about our own steps of obedience (or disobedience).
We are all commanded by our Lord to share the gospel (Matthew 28:19). All believers have the permanent fellowship with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), and, thus, we are all more than capable of sharing the gospel with our friends.
What we all need is more love for the lost, a greater willingness to listen to others and a greater willingness to speak the Word of God with boldness. I challenge you to prioritize sharing the Gospel this year and see what the Lord will do when we lift up our eyes to the harvest!
“Missions Minded” is a monthly column written by Jack Elliot, Missions Mobilizer for Nehemiah Teams. Each month, Jack will explore a different topic or spiritual discipline and relate it to the field of missions – a field close to his heart! For more information about how you and your church can get involved in impacting the nations, please feel free to contact Jack at jctn@protonmail.com.
