A moment of candor
Have you ever wondered why so often our immediate families are the most
difficult to share the gospel with? Sometimes they resist, even antagonize, our sincere efforts to tell them the most important news they’ll ever hear.
Every time I came home from college I would “share” my faith with my family over dinner, watching TV and any other time I had the opportunity. After all, I had THE most important news in the universe to communicate and who better to tell them than the one who was closest to them and wanted the best for them?
Kethiv Qere: What is Written, What is Read
Well, for me it was more like “What is said, what is heard”. I told them about grace, about the Cross, about sin, about…well, everything I knew, which, at the time, wasn’t much. I felt my words were reasoned, clear and biblical.
What my parents heard was, “Mom and Dad, I know I’m only a college kid but:
• A kid in college that you don’t know told me the most important truth in the universe and I now possess it
• You have failed as parents because your child had to find this out on his own
• My words are more important than my attitude
• Despite knowing what I’ve been like for many years (a story for later) you should trust that now my life really is different and Jesus is the reason. (After seeing me only a few weekends per semester)
In my eagerness to “talk” them into the Kingdom, I was missing the importance of “living” and “loving” them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Of course, the right words are important and there’s urgency to tell others! Who knows when those we love will be standing before God? In my case, my parents lived another 35 years. My Dad received Christ three weeks before he died through the ministry of my pastor…not me.
And, while he missed the opportunity to be discipled and grow in his relationship with Christ, nevertheless, I was thrilled. But, I’ve often wondered if I’d been more gracious and patient with the miraculous work of the Spirit of God whether they would have been more receptive to my words and desire to see them come to the Savior.
May God give each of us not only the right words but also the patience
to gain the right to say those words of eternal hope not only without theological error but while loving, honoring and contrite. And, pray for the Spirit to work with or without our meager efforts.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Rev. Don Walley is founding Director of TheaXiomNetwork and is committed to world wide witness on the world wide web and works with Churches to build the largest movement of Churches in history to utilize the power of the Internet to tell the world the Good News of Jesus Christ in this generation.
www.theaxiomnetwork.com