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From the Heart
By Jason Decker
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I have been repeatedly woken up in the middle of the night with a recurring burden from the Holy Spirit. That we are not showing the love of Christ to those we witness to. How is this so? I see this on two different levels. In my sharing these points, please do not take them too far because it is only by the Holy Spirit that we can be truly effective in sharing the love of Christ.
First, on a natural level – we (Christians) fail in our communication due to our lack of truly listening to those we talk with. We tend to use automatic responses based on either what we know is right or switch the subject back to our experiences or testimony. Before the LDS missionary even finishes their sentence, we are already thinking about our reply instead of about what they are saying. It’s not about being "right" as much as it is about being like Christ to them. We need to show them the love of God by stepping into their life for a moment.
Second, on a spiritual level – we approach them only with our "self" and neglect to utilize the Holy Spirit as a tag team partner. We try to His job for Him – convicting people of sin and righteousness. The fact is, we are not alone when sharing Christ. God is right there with us and wants to be included as an active participant in the conversation.
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." John 16:7-15 NKJVWe as "humans," tend to look at things with a limited perspective. In the world, people look at things as either good or bad. Breaking the law can be a felony or a misdemeanor. We have different levels of looking at things and its all relative to what standard we use for comparison. Sin is Sin and it all demands a consequence of death. God has another way of looking at things.
"For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." Rom 14:17-19 When we are "right" with God, it is a 100% thing, not 99%. Righteousness can only come by GRACE because none of us are perfect or good enough. This is the very reason we all need a Savior. Without being "Right With God" it is impossible to have "true peace" that comes from the Holy Spirit because we are in conflict with God – because He is holy. God does not desire for us to live at the break-even point as Christians. He wants us to get to the Promised Land of Joy and the life of "Abundance."
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10-11
It is really not the things we do, or do not do that God looks at. God is more focused on our hearts and where we stand in relation to Him, not what other people think. He looks at what is in our hearts before what’s in our hands. Its what comes out of our hearts that matters more to Him. It is how we respond to things after the fact. (Mark 7:15) After all, what made King David a man after God’s heart ?
I have a BIG question for you – When was the last time you shared your faith with someone ? Did you tear them down or build them up ? Did you tell them what you know or about who you know ? Did they leave angry or stirred up – wanting more ?
"Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." 1 Cor 8:1-3
Lord, Lord, Did we not talk to the Missionaries at our door ? It really doesn’t matter if you know all the errors in the Book of Mormon if they can’t tell that you know Christ (Matt 7:22). What is the one thing above everything that stands out more than any scripture you can quote ? LOVE !
Do you remember that hymn " Yes they’ll know we are Christians, by our love, by our love" ? This is so true. 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 really gets to the point, without love, nothing you do or say really matters. God does not want our words to hit brick walls, but to penetrate to the depths of their hearts.BIG QUESTIONS ?
God has challenged me with a question that should be answered every time you encounter someone when you share your faith. What is the biggest NEED in their life ? If that need was met by Christ they would know-that-they-know Christ is real and loves them. Next time you meet with an LDS missionary, try to find out these questions.
- What is the Biggest Need in their life ? - We ALL need a savior and miracles in our lives.
- Why do they do what they do ? - It’s not what we do (works) but our heart that God looks at.
- What is their biggest fear ? – Not being good enough ? Failure ? The Past ?
- What has God done for them ?
- How do they know where they stand ?
- What are their goals, dreams and ambitions for life ?
- What is life like – being them ? - Christ wants us to have compassion and empathy
- Where is God located in their life ? Is He way up in Heaven or in the very center of everything ?
- What must one do to convert to their faith ? Compare this to how you got saved
I have noticed a tendency for many Christians to approach people "straight-up’" with the truth and quite frankly – over power them and shut them down. We need to approach them from the foundation of truth, but embrace them with the Love of Christ and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. It is not our job to convict people of their sins – that is what the Holy Spirit is for. The Holy Spirit is the master gentleman, both tactful, graceful and to the point. I want to be like Jesus when He talked to the Samaritan woman at the well, to be candid and seize the moment, yet sensitive enough to listen empathetically to her and the Holy Spirit. By listening with "BOTH EARS" (natural and spiritual) Jesus was able to find the door to her heart and turned a broken hearted woman into an evangelist who brought the whole town to meet this Jesus of Nazareth.
Pray for Holy Spirit Revelation ! What are the ROOTS ?
Every tree bears fruit ! For instance, Utah has the highest rate of anti-depressant drug use in the United States. Depression is a fruit or a "consequence" of a works based faith. Imagine never knowing if you are good enough to get into Heaven or if you ever are pleasing to God ? That can put a lot of pressure on people. What are the roots causes that feed our behaviors?
We sometimes revert to the "Shotgun" approach and blast everyone with everything we’ve got and hope that something might hit the target. Jesus used "laser beam" technology and always hit His target. One Bullet, One Kill ! When he met the Samaritan woman at the well, He didn’t just deal with the circumstantial issues – water ! But recognized why she was at the well in the middle of hot day – she was the outcast and He dealt with the underlying need in her life by listening and picking up on the unseen things – and opened the door into her heart.
It is my prayer that we are effective and truly carry the Love of Christ to those who really need it.
- Jason (Ephesians 3:14-19)
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