- When I returned from six months of mission work overseas, I was surprised to be invited on another mission trip a week later. I was twenty at the time, and had been a student at the local community college prior to my time in the Caribbean and South America. One of the directors of a campus Christian group was eager for me to join them on a week long, spring break mission trip, and even offered to fund my way since I was jobless at the time. I was experiencing some reverse culture shock after leaving the mission field where I lived and breathed Jesus, and returning to a busy, westernized society. I agreed thinking additional mission work was just what I needed. Seeing that the trip would take us to Panama City, Florida, in retrospect I should have realized it might seem like Sodom and Gomorrah to my sensitive spirit. Irregardless, it was an enjoyable trip, and I loved sharing my faith with others. One avenue we used to spread the gospel was at a pancake breakfast we held each morning. We would feed people free pancakes, and talk with them as they ate. I had adopted the kind of witnessing technique where I allowed God to open doors for me, meaning if I felt the opportunity to share salvation was there, I would proceed, but if it wasn’t, I didn’t push it too harshly. It had worked well for me as open hearts are more receiving, and I could usually find a way easily enough to share my testimony.
- On our third day of serving breakfast I spotted a familiar group of fellas coming to a table. I sat down beside them after bringing full plates of flapjacks. I knew them all by name for this was our third breakfast together. I had been building a relationship of trust, praying for these guys in the evening, and was waiting patiently for God to show me how to speak to their hearts. I felt the time was coming. They seemed to trust me and had started asking questions, like why I was there. Questions are always good. I had my answers ready. As I was sharing my heart with them a boy from my team came up and sat down. He had a religious tract in his hand, and without even introducing himself, he asked the guy nearest to him, “Do you believe Jesus died for your sins?” Despite his brisk approach, I could have forgiven him for his question was a valid one, but it was the follow up that got me. He continued, “The life you’re living saddens God, and you’re going to burn in hell if you don’t stop drinking and partying. Will you ask for forgiveness right now, ask Jesus to save you, and you can be in Heaven with us?”
My heart sank. I watched in silence as they got up, laughed, and walked away. - I do believe in hell, and I do believe you will spend eternity there if you don’t accept Jesus as your savior. I believe in being honest with people, but I also believe in love. I believe in loving people and showing that love, not judging or condemning, but loving. I remember when I first became a nurse and worked my first critical care job. There was a nurse on nights with me and all she did was complain. She would sit down right beside me charting and begin to rant about how unfair things were for us. It was intoxicating and affected me negatively. I was rescued from her pessimism by my preceptor. She said, “It’s not that bad. She’s a bad apple, and they can ruin the whole barrel.”
I think we are guilty of that in God’s kingdom. The way we interact with others can give the family a bad name. I can recall when I first entered junior college. I wasn’t where I needed to be in my relationship with Christ. I can recall going to a Christian student union on campus. I was searching, and I was reaching. I remember two things right off the bat. The first was I remember being treated poorly by some students there. They were judgmental and unkind. In retrospect, I may have felt judged on my own, but their lack of love towards me didn’t change my feelings that they were judging my lifestyle choices. The other thing I recall is seeing people there, people who spoke at the bible studies, who had been at the drunken party the night before. In contrast, around this same time God placed other Christian friends in my path. With these people there was no judgmental attitudes (and I gave them plenty of fuel), there was love and acceptance, and their actions coincided with their words. Their example, their love, their gentle correction caused me to want to learn more, and to have that same light in me that I saw in their faces. I wanted that joy, and so I committed to Christ.
It’s easy to forget how your life as a Christian is a walking pamphlet for conversion. A person who is seeking answers and searching for Jesus’s love is watching you, and they’re watching me. This person can be treated with the love God intends by nine different people, but the tenth one who treats them with contempt will ruin it. Those actions of judgment and condemnation will be the ones that stick. Your actions can welcome someone to the family or send them packing. We can forget sometimes that everyone is a sinner. The only difference is who has been forgiven. And only God grants that, not man. When you read your Bible you will find a perfect example of love towards man set forth by our Savior Jesus, a man who was blameless in every way, yet cast no stone on those around Him, even as they put Him to death. He didn’t look down at doubting Thomas. He did not judge the prostitute. He simply shared His Father’s love and instructions for eternal life.
Let’s all try a little harder to gain family, not push them away.
That is all 🙂