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"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
(Romans 1:16)
God allows us wonderful opportunities to meet needs and share Jesus with people. Are we taking advantage of these opportunities, or are we so busy or unconcerned that we bypass these divine moments God provides to us? I have been guilty of both, and it bothers me whenever I pass up an opportunity to share Jesus. Most of the time I share, but I have noticed that whenever I miss an opportunity, the next person I meet will surely hear!
Last week, I wrote briefly about an evangelistic encounter I had on the airplane while flying back to Austin through Charlotte. After speaking at a "Who's Your 1?" conference in Columbus, Ohio, I got the good news that I had been bumped to first class! It was a smaller aircraft with a row of single seats on the left side of the plane and a row with two seats on the right side. I asked the Lord for 20 minutes for a nap, and He blessed me with 30! God gave me rest and prepared me for the 2.5-hour flight home. God knew that I would need it for sharing the Gospel with a gentleman from Puerto Rico. He is a delightful man whom I so enjoyed speaking with. He is an attorney and engineer; we spoke to each other for most of the flight to Austin. He will be in the city for a month visiting his family. I thought that after sharing with him he might pray with me on the plane and give his life to Christ, but he said no. Even so, we had a delightful conversation. I expect him to visit us at church while he is in town. He told me a friend of his sister's had witnessed to him and that she was too pushy, but I was not like that.
A couple of things I hope you keep in mind when sharing with people who do not know Jesus. First, be bold without being rude or pushy, and secondly, share with people with gentleness and meekness. Here are a couple of verses that address both points:
Ephesians 6:18-20: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
1 Peter 3:15: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."
Let us share and not be ashamed of Jesus. Let us be bold and kind, yes, even today!
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