Engaging Our Societies Pt. 2

"We don't live in our realm of feelings and emotions. We live in God's reality called Faith."

Many sincere Christians everywhere find themselves in situations where the Lord leads them to invest more time in building relationships with people, in being willing to be patient as they live their faith, witness as the Lord leads them, and wait for the fruit to come in God’s time. As the “salt of the earth,” the Lord is putting more of us in situations where we can build relationships, friendships, and give a more in-depth witness over time, which will allow people to discover the truth and the Lord’s Spirit for themselves as a result of seeing it lived before their eyes by faithful Christians.

Many past methods of reaching people still work. Of course, much depends on individuals and their needs, as well as the culture and mores of the society you’re in. In general, however, the world has become more skeptical, and more people are looking for “proof” and have a need to be fully persuaded before accepting spiritual concepts. Your example and your interactions with them can go a long way toward convincing them that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Jesus is the ultimate businessman. Nothing in His creation is squandered, from the tiniest molecule to the greatest star. So if He places you somewhere, He will bring people across your path who need you.

If you’ve been discouraged and thinking that your efforts to share your faith are not accomplishing much, look again. Your words and example of His love shining through you can convince others of the truth of His love and power in ways that will cut through the skepticism and unbelief that is so prevalent today. Your actions, words, and love for others can cut through the darkness of this world to reach those who need the truth.

Whatever situation you may find yourself in, God can raise up opportunities for you to be a force for good. They may be visible and far-reaching, or they may be less visible and small, but He has promised that if we are seeking, He will help us to find.3 The Holy Spirit is always working, always guiding people in their search for happiness, in their search for “the unknown God.”4 He wants to become known to them, and you can be the instrument He uses to help them to make that connection.—Maria Fontaine

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The Great Commission gives every Christian the privilege and responsibility of preaching the Good News until the end of history: “Go and make disciples of all nations.”5 Every Christian alive today is linked, through a complex chain of historical events, with this pivotal moment. Each of us has a family tree of faith reaching back into the mists of time. Down the ages, like runners in a great relay race of history, others have passed this Good News from one generation to another. And now the baton has been handed to us. It’s our turn.

We have been entrusted with passing on the Good News to those around and beyond us. It is an exciting thought. For a start, it helps us to see how we fit into the bigger picture. Yet for many it is also a rather challenging thought. It seems too big a demand. Are we really up for this? How can we cope with such a weighty responsibility? It is important to realize that Christians have always felt overwhelmed by the challenges of passing on our faith. We feel that we lack the wisdom, insight, and strength to do this—and we are right to feel so. But we must appreciate that God knows us, exactly as we are.6 He knows our deepest secrets, our strengths, and our weaknesses. And God is able to work in us and through us to speak to the world for which Christ died.—Alister E. McGrath

1 ESV.
2 1 Corinthians 1:23–24 KJV.
3 Matthew 7:7–8.
4 Acts 17:23.
5 Matthew 28:18–20 NIV.
6 Psalm 139.





Anchor TFI