Sharing with Urgency

"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you would take them out of the world but that you would protect them from the evil one . . . As you have sent me into the world, so have I sent them into the world." 

--John 17.13-18

This verse is really simple to me. Often, we as Christians desire to hide ourselves away from the world, for fear of being "corrupted" or influenced to be like the world. Perhaps we're afraid of what we don't know. Some of us are afraid of what we do know. Some of us don't want to get off the couch. Some of us anticipate uncomfortable moments. Some of us deeply fear rejection. Well, Jesus said a prayer for us, specifically for disciples, about that. He clearly asked God not to take us out of the world. So why do we try to take ourselves out of it? 

Sure, there are places we probably shouldn't go and things we probably shouldn't see because there isn't a "space" for goodness to flourish there. However, we also aren't called to hide in our church buildings and homes and "pray" for all those faceless people out there who don't know Jesus and hope that maybe they'll happen to wander into the auditorium on a Sunday morning. That's called negligence. 

Admittedly, I also spend most of my time in places doing things that relate specifically to my needs or the needs of people who I already know and love. I really do get it; we're all busy, we have our own lives and people to take care of, and we have our own stresses and issues and problems to deal with. But part of our calling is in having the time to go out into the world, no matter how uncomfortable or scary that may be.

Going out into the world doesn't mean going about my daily business and praying that, in the midst of it, I'll bump into someone who needs to hear the gospel. I think it's easy to say "I'm praying about this" or "I'm praying for them" and then feel released from any actual responsibility in the process of evangelism. No, only "hoping" or "praying" to "be led" to those who need the gospel is irresponsible. I believe that prayer is an essential part of the process, but you could literally walk up to any person, anywhere, anytime, ask them their name and how their day is going, get to know them, and share the gospel. It's a choice that you get to make.

Evangelism is not a game of chance or a mystic maze where you wait for just the right moment in which the Holy Spirit "leads" or "guides" or "directs" you to just the right person who needs to hear the gospel right at that perfect moment. That's actually an easy way out of mustering up the courage and making the choice to walk up to someone you don't know at all, getting to know them, and sharing the joy that you know and have with them. 

Jesus wanted us to be in the world. Being of the world is a choice. And sharing the gospel is a responsibility that we can't shirk. 

Father,
Give us the courage to share the gospel freely, kindly, lovingly, without passing judgment, and with urgency.
In the name of Jesus, who calls us to these purposes, amen. 

Erin Daugherty, Abilene, TX