What’s your idea of a nightmare job? For me, it’s used car salesman. I just plain hate sales in general, but used cars might be the worst. So it’s no wonder that when I used to think of evangelism as “selling Jesus” that I didn’t like the idea. I love Jesus, and He’s commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations, so I felt sort of backed into a corner on the issue. For years I struggled because I simply misunderstood God’s heart in evangelism. I interpreted Jesus’ command as “go out into all the world and sell, sell, sell!” I felt obligated to be a salesmen for Christ. Gotta reel ’em in. How can I seal the deal? What can I say to make the sale? How can I pitch Jesus to keep them coming back for more?
Growing up in the church , you hear a lot about evangelism. If I had a nickel for every time I heard a teaching on the Great Commission (“it’s a commandment, not a suggestion”) I’d be fully funded and then some. The more I grew in my relationship with God the more I knew it was important for me to tell others about him but I didn’t know how to approach it joyfully. Over time, I gradually began to see evangelism in a new light.
It started with me realizing that I don’t have to do evangelism the same way I’ve seen others do it. I don’t have to shove it down anyone’s throat or put all the focus on fear and hell. I am free to speak life and truth and do so in a way that reflects the beautiful and loving relationship I have with the Lord. For years I’ve approached sharing my faith this way but God spoke something so sweet to me recently that has really revolutionized the way I view evangelism.
I returned to this struggle over evangelism because of our unique ministry setting this month. E Squad is partnering with LightForce International during our time in Albania. LightForce hosts Christian camps, church groups, and have about 6 weeks of summer camps for World Vision sponsor kids each year. So exciting, right? But not this month, not while I’m here. Our first week LightForce’s guest was a “Go Green” environmental camp for high schoolers run by the Peace Corps. And the Peace Corps requested that we not talk to the kids about religion unless they brought it up (which I figured wouldn’t happen.)
Here’s the truth. I was initially pretty disappointed and frustrated. I came on this trip to share Jesus with the world. Why I am helping out with a camp where I can’t do that? And what’s more, it upset me to imagine what the Peace Corps workers thought of us. They were afraid that we were “those kind” of Christians. Don’t get in our way, don’t try to shove your Bibles down our throats, we’re not your project, and we’re definitely not interested in the Jesus you’re selling. Ouch.
I took my frustrations to God in prayer. I laid it all out before Him: God I want to be obedient to You. I love you and know the miracle You’ve worked in my life and I want to share that with others. I want to see people move from darkness to light and experience relationship with You. I know that it’s Your heart to release them from the bonds of sin and prepare them to spend eternity with You. But I don’t want to be a sleazy used car salesman! I don’t want to have to pressure, convince, or talk anyone into giving their life to Christ.
And God reassured me. 2 Corinthians 2:17 says “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” I am not called to be a used car salesman. I’m called to be a matchmaker. Not a nosy, meddling matchmaker like Yenta from Fiddler on the Roof. Not a harsh, abrasive matchmaker like the one in Mulan either. The kind of matchmaker that we all like to be a times. You meet a friend of a friend and as you get to know them you can’t stop thinking of how well he’d get along with your cousin. There’s something about him that just reminds you of her and you know they’d hit it off. If you’re like me you love to imagine those kinds of possibilities with people and you want to share it with them. It’d make me so happy to see two people that I love connect with each other. What a privilege to be able to say you helped set them up! The thing about being a matchmaker is that you don’t drag those two people together and force it. And you also don’t run around all day throwing people together randomly without getting to know them and building your own connections.
That’s how I see evangelism now. It’s all about connecting with people and loving them. Listening to them, getting to know them… and then looking for those things that link them to their Creator. And when I see those things, I present the possibilities to them. “Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Savior… A love that’s never failing…” I present the good news of the gospel but ultimately it’s their choice. They can take my word for it and pursue the relationship or they can pass. So many people are searching for something more. God is love and apart from Him we’ll never be complete and wholly satisfied. What a privilege to be able to set people up for what I know is a match made in heaven.
Part 2… See what evangelism with this heart looks like in action.
