Light the Way
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9
There have been a few times in my life that I’ve tried selling things. For a while in my young adulthood I got involved in one of those Multi-Level Marketing companies, where you’re pushed to sell others on the system and bring them into your pyramid and get them to also sell. I was no good at it, because I didn’t believe in the system or the product. On the other hand, I can, and will, sell you on my ability to design and build a wooden pallet all day, because I have a ton of confidence in our company’s ability to produce a quality product. As a female in a male-centric industry, I’m often looked upon with a bit of doubt when I walk into a room filled with men to discuss the strength and durability of my product, or when I’m asked to design a crate to fit an odd shaped product. Without fail, when I leave these meetings, I get the incredulous comment from some man, “You really know your stuff.” I always express gratitude for the complement, but it makes me extremely happy to have a customer develop confidence in my knowledge and ability. I am confident in my salesmanship because I have a deep understanding of and belief in my product.
We are called, as Christians, to share the good news of Jesus Christ. It should be easy for us because we have experienced first hand the incredible hope that we are filled with when we’re saved. We should stand out and be obviously different from the world because we have been radically changed by entering into a relationship with Jesus. We should be willing to tell others everything He’s done for us… why we are filled with joy and hope, who we were before he changed us, and how much we believe he can do the same for them. In other words, we should all be confident salesmen for a relationship with Jesus!
If you’re not feeling like a confident salesman, there are a few ways to get there. Now, obviously, everyone doesn’t have my personality: I will strike up a conversation with literally anybody anywhere at anytime. I just like people, and I enjoy talking to them… However, being a shy person or naturally introverted doesn’t let you off the hook when it comes to our “Great Commission”. (My pastor recently reminded us that Matthew 28 wasn’t directed at only those who were present at that moment, but to all followers of Christ throughout all of time.)
There are tons of ways to share Christ: it doesn’t always have to be with someone you’ve never met. We all have friends and acquaintances whose standing with our Savior is unknown to us. It doesn’t have to be awkward or uncomfortable, or worked into every conversation, but there will be a time when it could come up, if we’re ready and looking for it.
The amazing thing that I’ve found, is that the Holy Spirit is faithful to bring to mind verses that you’ve heard or read. I always thought I needed to memorize tons of verses before I could be an effective witness for Christ. That simply isn’t true. It is good and helps if you regularly spend time in the Word, if you are a regular church attendee and if you are an active listener in those services, but we do not need to wait until we feel ready to begin to share the Good News of our Savior’s sacrifice with our friends and loved ones.
Spend some time today thinking of all the ways our Lord has blessed your life. Isn’t He worth sharing with others? Don’t you want everyone to have what you have? With eternity in the balance, why would we delay?
