When you know the love and peace of God, it’s easy to get so excited to tell others about Him that people think you’re quite strange. All Christians have experienced it at some point on their journey, for many of us it happened as young enthusiastic Christians before we learned of the reaction one gets when unreservedly expressing that excitement (sometimes even Christians think we’re a little strange!).
I recently read a story from the Africa Inland Mission about a small child asking her mum, “Just when will Jesus come back?”. Her mum answered, “When everyone has had the opportunity to hear about Him”. “Can’t we get aeroplanes to put a banner in the sky, or giant fireworks to spell out His name? Could we take over all the TV sets?”
Oh, how Christians long to do that and shout His name from the roof tops! How obvious that seems when you’re a child longing for everyone to know and experience Jesus as you have. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take many knock backs before that enthusiasm of a child is crushed and many give up on sharing their faith altogether.
God’s message to us through the Christian bible is clear though, that for all people to hear about Jesus, those of us who already know Him have to act. So, what form of action can we take?
That depends on the gifts we have been given and what God has placed on our hearts.
Our heart for children in Kisumu has taken us on a long journey spanning over 20 years, a journey which is far from over. As the years passed, our mission never changed. Our desire is to see the end of poverty for the children we serve. By sharing knowledge and resources we have been able to help many escape, once and for all, the poverty into which they were born but for us, it was always more than that. We were clear that the provision came from God and we have seen Him at work in many moments providing more than we could have done alone.
To share your faith, to share the love of God, and to share the hope of Jesus, you don’t have to stand on the roof tops and shout, or make yourself awkward in an unnatural situation. There are many Christians who can do that, who don’t feel uncomfortable raising the subject of church at the slightest opportunity. They have a particular gift for evangelism. But for many of us, that would feel so unnatural that it would probably have a detrimental effect. Do it in the way that uses your gifts, your skills, your resources. Love others unconditionally, love your enemy, help a stranger in trouble, despair, hunger, poverty. As you do so, hear Jesus’s words, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40. That is how you can share your faith. That is how others will see and experience the love of God.
