Getting out of the Comfort Zone
When we socialise with our peers, we often feel comfortable and glad when we are able to find topics in common to talk about. You feel a sense of connection with the person. Not much needs to be explained, a short few words and they understand and appreciate what you are saying. It is a natural reaction to stay in this comfort zone because life has always been promoted to be all about enjoying ourselves. Why go a painful way when there is an easier route to enjoy ourselves?
I am certain that I am not alone on this, and when it comes to sharing your spiritual faith, we would often prefer sharing their faith and experiences amongst our fellow brothers and sisters, because it is much easier for them to comprehend the Love, Joy, Peace or Hardships that you may be spiritually experiencing. We are comfortable sharing it, and most of all, we are comforted in that you will know your fellow brothers and sisters will be praying for you.
I'm not saying this is a bad thing. We should all grow spiritually through fellowship/discipleship by sharing our spiritual experiences with fellow Christians.
But when it comes to evangelising and sharing their spiritual faith with non-believers, by telling or showing them our living testimonies as a gospel-sharing opportunity, it becomes a completely different story altogether. Many tend to shy away from this activity.
In the most recent encounters with fellow brothers and sisters, I have heard so many reasons where they avoid evangelism. Excuses galore:
We often remember God's grace and blessings. We enjoy these fruits for being His children. We love being in the comfort zone, being looked after, knowing that we are safe.
What we don't remember is, what our purpose of being a Christian is. We often forget that we have surrendered our lives to follow our Lord Jesus. We forget we have made the decision to let go of our desires to serve him. We forget the most important and final direction that he has left us before he ascended to heaven: The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-20).
Experience does not magically come by declaring that you lack it. You have to get your hands dirty, bump a few nails. Jesus teaches his disciples that "... if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)
Stop thinking what you can get out of your faith in Christ. Think what you can give through your faith in Christ! The bible tells us 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35) Think of those needy ones around you that are thirsting for living water, who would be so much better off if you could bring to them the Love, Joy and Peace that you are experiencing in your spiritual walk with Christ!
The bible says that we are the ambassadors of Christ and we are the light of the world that should shine before others, giving glory to our Father in heaven!
It is time to get out of the comfort zone and to play your part in the Great Commission!
I am certain that I am not alone on this, and when it comes to sharing your spiritual faith, we would often prefer sharing their faith and experiences amongst our fellow brothers and sisters, because it is much easier for them to comprehend the Love, Joy, Peace or Hardships that you may be spiritually experiencing. We are comfortable sharing it, and most of all, we are comforted in that you will know your fellow brothers and sisters will be praying for you.
I'm not saying this is a bad thing. We should all grow spiritually through fellowship/discipleship by sharing our spiritual experiences with fellow Christians.
But when it comes to evangelising and sharing their spiritual faith with non-believers, by telling or showing them our living testimonies as a gospel-sharing opportunity, it becomes a completely different story altogether. Many tend to shy away from this activity.
In the most recent encounters with fellow brothers and sisters, I have heard so many reasons where they avoid evangelism. Excuses galore:
- I only look after the finances in my fellowship. Evangelism is something that is someone else's responsibility within the fellowship. They will look after that. I have no part in it.
- I don't have the experiences to evangelise. I just don't think I am equipped to do it.
- I don't think God has planned for me to evangelise. I think I am better in discipleship. For some reason, I excel in helping people spiritually grow but making non-believers understand the gospel is really not what I am geared to do.
We often remember God's grace and blessings. We enjoy these fruits for being His children. We love being in the comfort zone, being looked after, knowing that we are safe.
What we don't remember is, what our purpose of being a Christian is. We often forget that we have surrendered our lives to follow our Lord Jesus. We forget we have made the decision to let go of our desires to serve him. We forget the most important and final direction that he has left us before he ascended to heaven: The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-20).
The Great Commission
14Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." 19So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]
Experience does not magically come by declaring that you lack it. You have to get your hands dirty, bump a few nails. Jesus teaches his disciples that "... if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)
Stop thinking what you can get out of your faith in Christ. Think what you can give through your faith in Christ! The bible tells us 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35) Think of those needy ones around you that are thirsting for living water, who would be so much better off if you could bring to them the Love, Joy and Peace that you are experiencing in your spiritual walk with Christ!
The bible says that we are the ambassadors of Christ and we are the light of the world that should shine before others, giving glory to our Father in heaven!
It is time to get out of the comfort zone and to play your part in the Great Commission!
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder! 20Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God. 24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Posted by
Sharon |
12:57 pm, March 29, 2008
Interesting and well said. But, I bet you haven't heard of my excuse.
See, I signed a "20 Year Deferment" form with the Big Boss for evangelism. :D
Seriously though, one of the reasons I have no time for evangelism is ironically because of church. Most of my friends are busy on weekdays due to work, and they don't want to come out on weeknights. So that leaves the weekends. But the weekends can be filled with all kinds of church related activities.
Whilst they may be good and beneficial for believers, they take time and energy away from believers to do "church" outside of church.
One of my constant sources of frustration has been this overuse of time, making it very difficult to get together with my non-Christian friends to talk about life, because faith is the very stuff that should permeate lives.
As a result I cut back on helping out within the "church" a lot, because if people don't come into the "church", we need to be taking "church" out to them. And at the same time, we need to drop a lot of jargon and use non-theological terms to make our friends understand what we believe and hope for.
After all, isn't this is what being the light and salt of the world is about?
Posted by
lightseeker |
9:56 pm, April 09, 2008