Tonight at cell group we talked about our week, discussed the Thanksgiving Party, and celebrated Kay's birthday. Annie encouraged us to to morning devotion everyday and Jack gave us a challenge: incorporate Proverbs 4:23 in your conversation with friends this week. Jack also told us that there are two e's in a cell group: evangelism and edification. What we do every Saturday night is edifying ourselves; we encourage each other and kindle the passion for Jesus. But we also need to reach out to others by evangelizing and spreading the gospel.
Hm, I haven't been doing so well on the latter; edification, devotion, going to church, and praying had all being nice and dandy, but it's been such as while since I last witnessed or talked about Jesus to nonbelievers. I did talk about Christianity with friends back in the beginning of this month. It was because a guy was standing in the middle of campus holding a gigantic sign that read: "Don't go to hell" I thanked God for such a good chance to talk about faith with nonbelievers, but in the end, I was so nervous, that I only asked about how they felt about the blunt demonstration and touched lightly on the possibility of heaven and hell's existence. I also said grace at meal times with my friends though they looked at me oddly. Once my hall mate saw me reading the Bible during midterms week and she exclaimed, "What? You still have time to read the Bible?" There was also that time when I mentioned in a hall gathering that my passion was about Christianity, yet I said it in such an awkward way, "Yea, I go to church, so I'm interested when people are talking about the Bible and Christianity" I had sounded anything but passionate about Jesus. Other than these lame and passive attempts, I've not being testifying about God's love and salvation.
I had walked around the campus a couple of times, praying and hoping to share the gospel. I saw people with crutches, with castes, and other injuries, yet I've always cowered at the last moment and allowed them to pass me by. Oh how many times have I felt terrible for not grabbing the chance! How many times have I prayed and vowed that I won't run away the next time! Lord have mercy and give Your servant boldness to reach out to those who aren't saved yet.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16)
Lord, let me be like Paul!
