I had been looking for a Shaun the Sheep flash to put on my profile page, and found the opening credits on YouTube and was very excited by this only to find that for some reason it doesn't actually work on bebo...  so i went into my favourites to change it back to the 'get a mac' advert (you all should btw!!!) and was reminded of the 'Awesome God' flash that I had come across a while ago... I watched it through, and something kept coming back to me the whole way through... it's something that's been coming back to me a lot through different things recently...
Where, is the passion for spreading God's Word? Where is the passion for seeking to save souls? Do we walk along thinking that 'ok, so we're saved, now we can just chill out knowing that God is with us whatever happens and will forgive all the pants stuff we do'? Do we forget that Jesus sent the disciples out to bring the nations to him? Why do we always assume that it's someone else's job? How often do we actually bother to invite a non-christian friend to an event or even talk to them about God? It's all very well praying for them to become a Christian, but if we're not giving them the opportunity to come into a Christian fellowship, if we're not even opening our ears for God to tell us to grasp opportunities then are we failing them? Don't misunderstand me, i'm not attempting to limit God here, but surely, as Christians we all admit that we have been given the greatest gift... So why do we always shy away? or keep to our own priorities rather than God's? Being a Christian isn't about being the perfect model to your non-Christian friends, it's about sharing with them that we get it wrong too, but that we trust in God who is higher than us and has control over all for the good of us... 
Why do we persist in keeping God to ourselves? God's Grace is for all. Why are we so selfish so as not to share it? Why is it that when someone reminds us about how we should share the gospel with our friends... we feel bad... wish we could help them understand God... pray for them... and then perhaps forget about it... or at least we may continue to pray for them, but just not actively do anything about it outside the comfort of our own bedroom, or i suppose mind. Why?
I've said this before... and I'll say it again... Christianity is not something that you 'tag on'. Christianity does not work around our habits, our lifestyles... its not something which is ok to just 'add-on' in later life... later life may be too late... Following Christ IS a lifestyle. And as much as we like to bury our heads in the sand on this, there IS a sense of urgency here... We don't know how long we are here for. No one does. Yes, ultimately it is everyone's own personal decision whether they follow Christ or not... and yes, you can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink - BUT have you actually even tried to take the horse to the water? Or are you so comfortable at the river with your Christian friends that you see no need to venture out to take others there too?
People tend to come to Christ through those they trust... not because of a minister... although of course God can work through all... so take that on board... is God asking you to encourage someone? do you need to wait until an evangelism event comes along to invite a friend into Christian fellowship? i don't think so...Labels: Christianity, Evangelism, God, God's Grace, Jesus, Shaun the Sheep |
