Recently, I have been overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. I drove by a Pinery Park and saw 50 guys playing basketball last night. First, I thought that several of them probably need to hear the gospel. My next thought was that I couldn’t be the one the bring the message. How would I begin to approach them? Why would they listen to me? I couldn’t just go ask to join their game (imagine an uncoordinated chubby white girl coming up to a bunch of ballers and asking to play).
I’ve had several situations like this where I feel like it would be ridiculous or stupid to do something myself. I tend to respond by wishing that I had a husband who could do ministry with me. While this would be nice, it’s not close to a reality at the moment. I guess this is why I have a community of believers at my church to do mission. They may not be ballers, but at least I’m not alone.
July 6, 2009 at 11:01 am |
Hey, Becky
I want to encourage you. I don’t know everything God has in store for you to do, but I do know a couple of things. First, discipling your children counts. If you were discipling someone else’s kids, you’d count that, wouldn’t you? How much more, then, your own, whom God has specifically placed in your care? And being a living light to your husband counts, too–a lot.
Second, despite many sermons I’ve heard to the contrary, God really doesn’t need you or me in order to reach the world. He’s got it handled, and sometimes He gives us a little plastic builders’ set and lets us ‘help.’ After all, He loves us, and we’re so cute with our little hammers and all. If we hang around and learn from Him, pretty soon He might even give us a real hammer and teach us how to swing it. In His time.
Third, advice to you and to me . . . get out of your Christian “ghetto.” We all live there–we Christians. We get saved and are told to now leave our old friends behind. I don’t know what you were taught growing up, but for me, it was “No, you won’t pull them up; they’ll drag you down.” In some cases, true, but how are we to be a light to the world if we keep our lamp under the bushel basket of the church building and the church community? And is God’s ability to keep us not stronger than the enemy’s ability to pluck us out of His hand?
So make some new friends. Join a bowling club or a gardening club or a writers’ guild; go to the PTO meetings at your kids’ school; help organize your kids’ swimming or just talk to the other parents and make friends while you’re watching the kids swim. That’s enough ‘getting out of the comfort zone’ for anyone.
It’s important, though, that you make friends for friendship’s sake and not with an eye to finding the first opening to give them a “pitch” for Jesus. Eventually, they’ll ask you the reason for the hope that lives within you, and you’ll be ready to give that reason.
Yes, there are people gifted in evangelism. They seem not to know it, though, and assume that everyone should be able to lead everyone they come in contact with to the Lord in fewer than 10 minutes. This does not happen for most of us, as you may have noticed the few times you’ve goaded yourself into trying it. Let God lead you and trust Him to give you the assignments He wants you to have.
Love in Him, Cindy
July 6, 2009 at 11:16 am |
Hey, Cindy. Thanks for the response. I understand you don’t know me personally, so let me explain myself a little. I am single, and I have no children. Thanks for the reminder that God doesn’t need us, but lets us somehow be a part of His grand plan. And, I always can use a swift kick in the pants to get myself out of my comfort zone and into where God decides to use me. In a related note, I could use some prayer as a goup from my church begins an ESL class tonight. We probably won’t have students, which means we will be going into the neighborhood and talking to people.
July 6, 2009 at 11:39 am |
Hi, Becky
I’m sorry–not sure how I got that so muffed up. I’m mixing you with another lady whose blog I was reading. I don’t often see her real name–anyhow, I’m embarrassed to have done that–sorry. Sometimes I can be a bit air-headed and forget which names go with which people–especially when I haven’t met them personally.
Not sure what ESL is? English as second language? What a great outreach! We don’t have a lot of need for that here in this relatively small midwest city–at least not that I’m aware of. The thought came to me last night that maybe God would like me to volunteer to teach adult literacy. I don’t know if it was Him or just me, but it did seem to pop in out of the blue. I’d have forgotten it all together if not for you. I will pray for you. If you get this, do drop a note back and let me know if my guess is correct so I can pray more specifically.
July 6, 2009 at 11:46 am |
Yes, it is English as a second language. We’re doing a Spanish-English exchange program. English speakers will learn Spanish for the first half of the class, and Spanish speakers will learn English for the second half. Adult literacy is a huge need in most communities, so I’m sure it would be a great way to show the love of Christ to others.