Witness This

I love my small church family.

I'm starting to ease into relationships with other members. This is the first church I've attended where I have really felt welcome. Instead of being shunned, I've been taken in and taken care of. The pastor makes a point of asking me how I'm doing every week and his wife has gone out for coffee with me and prayed me through a really tough time in my life. If I don't make it to church she calls or texts to check on me. The first time I met her, I didn't even know she was the pastor's wife. They're really humble and genuinely interested in people's well-being. That's not something I've seen a lot of in my church experiences. 

After today's service we all had a meal together. I sat quietly eating my tacos, listening to the conversations around me.  A few people were discussing how they need to witness more. I've heard that a lot from other Christians and at one point I said those words too. Back in the day, I was that girl who went on mission trips, did door-to-door evangelism, passed out gospel tracts in the streets... you name it, I did it.

Growing up in a Baptist-like environment, where numbers and soul-winning were  central goals for every good Christian, I discovered something... those methods don't work very well. It's usually a big turn-off for most people. They feel as though you're peddling religion to them like a sleazy street vendor and frankly, there is some truth to that. I feel that popular methods of "witnessing" are completely detached and impersonal, often coming across as insincere. It's admirable, but perhaps misguided and misdirected, often bringing about the same kind of results as slapping a Christian bumper sticker on your car (which isn't much, especially if you drive like I do).

In reality, the more effective way is the most difficult. Just loving on people. My Father pours out His love on me, so the best thing I can do is in turn pour out that love on others. It's not my job to "save" people - that work belongs to God. It's my job to talk about what God has done in my life and to love on other people. This could be anything from helping a family buy groceries to simply sitting and listening. It involves purposeful relationships with those around you and a sensitivity to emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. It involves living an open and raw life. It involves time investment.

I am where I am today because of a small handful of people who decided not to preach at me, but instead they met me where I was and walked with me. No judgement, just love. That's what drew me in... Christians simply exhibiting God's love towards me.

Love, in its most simple and basic forms, wins out in the end... not fire-and-brimstone street preaching... not gospel tracts... not door-to-door solicitation. You have to make sacrifices and give a part of yourself to really effectively touch someone's life. That's the point of what Jesus did in the first place, isn't it?

"...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect..." (1 Peter 3:15)