A devotional by Glynis Becker
“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.””
– Mark 16:15 (NASB)
I have been a Christian for a long time.
I grew up in the church with a family who loves Jesus Christ. I made a decision to put Jesus first at a very young age and never went through a “rebellion” stage like many church kids do. I didn’t leave the church when I left home or went to college. My faith and relationship with the Lord has certainly had its ups and downs, although I’d like to think that on the whole it’s been pretty consistent and so have I.
But no matter how long we’ve been a Christian, or how many times we’ve read the Bible, if we are still breathing, God is still working on things within us. As we study and pray, our eyes are opened to new truths about Him and our hearts need to be open to transformation.
In this season of my life I’m beginning to recognize how little I share my faith today and how little I have over the course of my life. Having spent my childhood in the ‘80s, for me the word “evangelist” conjures up tarnished images of slick-talking television hucksters exploiting the masses, but it shouldn’t.
According to the dictionary, “Evangelism” is simply “spreading the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.” So an “evangelist” is simply a witness. We may not all have a public pulpit, but we all have a witness and therefore, we are all evangelists to one degree or another.
My own personality is one-part shy introvert and two-parts peacemaker who hates conflict or confrontation. “Evangelist” is not on a list of job descriptions for which I would naturally consider myself a good fit, but several things come to mind when I think about these six points:
Point #1: We may not all be preachers or evangelists, but we all have a story.
Point #2: Even if evangelism is not our spiritual gift, we still need to be a witness to the world.
Point #5: When someone rejects the Gospel, they are not rejecting us. And even if we do feel rejected, remember we are children of God and co-heirs with Jesus. It’s okay if the world doesn’t love us.
Point #6: The name of Jesus has great power. It shouldn’t surprise us when people who are not ready to hear the Gospel are rude or sharp or argumentative. The natural spirit inside us loves the things of the world, not the things of God.
Our church is studying through the book of Acts right now. If spending time with the amazing stories and astonishing miracles of the first Christians doesn’t make you want to see revival in today’s church or give you courage to seek out those who are lost, then maybe you need to read it again!
The world is so desperate for what only Jesus can give. How can we be silent? I’m ready to ask for opportunities to bring light to dark places. How about you?
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, author of salvation, be in us today as we share the truth with those around us. Help us to know when to speak and when to be silent, when to move forward and when to stand still. Even when we are scared, remind us that You are close. We love you. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
~*~
Author Bio:
Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.
Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two college-age children.
When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting.
Connect with her at www.glynisbecker.com, @beckerglynis on Instagram or @GlynisBecker7 on Twitter.
My own personality is one-part shy introvert and two-parts peacemaker who hates conflict or confrontation. “Evangelist” is not on a list of job descriptions for which I would naturally consider myself a good fit, but several things come to mind when I think about these six points:
Point #1: We may not all be preachers or evangelists, but we all have a story.
Point #2: Even if evangelism is not our spiritual gift, we still need to be a witness to the world.
Point #3: Sharing the most important news of our lives shouldn’t be looked at as a burden, but a privilege.
Point #4: We do not share Jesus by ourselves. The Holy Spirit equips us as we speak and He is the one at work. Only He can convince another person of the Truth, which is how we came to know it in the first place ourselves.
Point #5: When someone rejects the Gospel, they are not rejecting us. And even if we do feel rejected, remember we are children of God and co-heirs with Jesus. It’s okay if the world doesn’t love us.
Point #6: The name of Jesus has great power. It shouldn’t surprise us when people who are not ready to hear the Gospel are rude or sharp or argumentative. The natural spirit inside us loves the things of the world, not the things of God.
Our church is studying through the book of Acts right now. If spending time with the amazing stories and astonishing miracles of the first Christians doesn’t make you want to see revival in today’s church or give you courage to seek out those who are lost, then maybe you need to read it again!
The world is so desperate for what only Jesus can give. How can we be silent? I’m ready to ask for opportunities to bring light to dark places. How about you?
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, author of salvation, be in us today as we share the truth with those around us. Help us to know when to speak and when to be silent, when to move forward and when to stand still. Even when we are scared, remind us that You are close. We love you. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
~*~
Author Bio:
Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.
She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.
Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two college-age children.
When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting.
Connect with her at www.glynisbecker.com, @beckerglynis on Instagram or @GlynisBecker7 on Twitter.
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