It’s comforting to relate to someone. Knowing that a person with a similar background and life story has overcome something we struggle with gives us hope for a positive resolution.
This is one reason why God has empowered us to help share the gospel message. We’re encouraged to tell about God and His amazing love. This unlikely partnership is neither necessary nor required. The privilege of sharing His gospel is a gift.
God shows us all the flashing lights and blaring sounds. He puts His best work into loving us and meeting our needs. He listens attentively to our prayers and answers them in ways that make our jaws drop. Still, we find all these signs hard to believe.
Many times, we’re unsure of whether or not we can believe our eyes. Surely that healing couldn’t have just happened on its own. There must be an explanation. A whole nation of people saved by walking through a dry sea bed? There must be shallow spots. If we scour Mount Ararat long enough, we should find remnants of gopher wood.
Cue us.
God’s plan includes us; you and me. God does the miracles, then we get to share the story. He doesn’t need us. The world’s success is not attached to our performance. God is more powerful than that. Yet, He’s chosen us anyways.
God knows that while people may question the miracles and blessings they experience each day, while they may wonder about that voice that keeps tugging on their heartstrings and the way that things seem to fall into place coincidentally, these occurrences can be easily dismissed.
However, hearing these stories from a friend, a neighbor, a sibling, a relative, a stranger makes them all the more relatable and believable. And possible. If it can happen for you; then it can happen for me.
So, what exactly should we say?
There is no script because God’s love is unscripted. It doesn’t have to be much. Don’t talk yourself out of this task by overthinking and micro-scrutinizing each situation. This quote from the book Steps to Christ is a good guideline:
“If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good we shall have something to tell.”
What have you tasted that has shown you His goodness?
Have you tasted some of God’s grace? Maybe it came with a side of mercy at no extra cost. Perhaps you’ve tasted His forgiveness, which resulted in liberty from guilt. Maybe you’ve enjoyed the sweetness of peace, with an aftertaste assurance. Perhaps you’re continually feasting at a never-ending buffet of His goodness, where refills are unlimited and all dishes are made fresh.
This is what we should tell. Our experience. No one else can tell our story as we can.
Don’t worry about conversions—that’s not our role. Don’t stress over what a listener might think—that’s not our role. Don’t let doubt stop us from sharing what God has done. No one benefits from an untold story.
If you’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good, then your experience with Him has gone to a deeper level. Why not invite others to engage in a deeper experience for themselves too.
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{This post is part 5 of 10. The entire series is found on the introductory page, A Deeper Experience.}
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Sabrina Jacques-Rowe
Communication Leader
Henderson Highway Church