SHARING OUR LIVES
02nd Aug 2023
Many years ago I was listening to a message preached by Len Moules, who was heading up the mission organisation WEC (Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade). In his message he suddenly said, “Sharing the gospel is not enough”, at which moment everyone became alert; was he preaching heresy? He continued quoting from 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
Every believer wants to see others commit their lives to Jesus, and we find ourselves challenged to witness to others about our faith. But how are we to do it? Should we carry around a bunch of tracts and give them to anyone we meet? That scatter-gun mentality can be very unhelpful and just add to the resistance many have to the gospel.
In our Cornwall days, we led a youth work that met in part of our home which we called “The Loft”. We saw lots of young folk commit their lives to Jesus. When these new believers were giving their testimony, as they were being baptised, so many of them said, “When I saw how Jesus had changed the life of my friend, I too wanted to know Jesus like he/she did.” They didn’t talk about the words that had been used, but the life transformation that had taken place.
When we moved into the area where we now live, I was speaking at a Healing Meeting in the local church. At the end, the prayer team stood at the communion rail. Joyce & I were standing together when a lady knelt in front of us, and when we asked her why she had come, she said, “I want to know Jesus like John does!” John was her son who had recently come to faith and had been transformed by Jesus.
Are you sharing your life of faith with such love and compassion that non believers want to know the Jesus who has transformed your life? Is your life worth imitating? Paul described the believers in Corinth as living letters. “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.” 2 Corinthians 3:2
by Charles Sibthorpe
