So as a Young Life leader you earn the right to be heard. You go to countless breakfasts with gals, school lunches, all kinds of sporting events in order to shine the light of Jesus to the sweet high school souls around you.
As Americans we tend to want to stay in our own bubble. I believe what I believe & you believe what you believe.
In Cote d’ivoire and Ghana we did a whole lot of evangelizing. To be honest, it wasn’t my favorite. It was hard for me because I just spent the last three years earning the right to be heard. I spent so much time investing in different high school girls to show them the love of Jesus Christ. Now, you’re telling me I have to walk around and knock on peoples doors and just tell them about Jesus right then and there. In America most would slam the door in you face and have no interest in what you’re saying.
The people of Cote d’ivoire welcomed us into their homes with open arms. They were excited to talk to us. The chores and work didn’t stop while we were there. We evangelized with people having their hair done, cooking, doing laundry and eating. Everywhere we went they offered us a chair and insisted we sat down. There was our platform for the gospel, simply showing up. It was difficult because we didn’t really revisit people who we talked to, but we shared the gospel with many people. Once you share the gospel-it’s the Holy Spirit’s turn to work in their lives. We planted and maybe even watered a bunch of seeds in Cote d’Ivoire.
In Ghana almost everyone spoke English, which was such an incredible blessing. We went to the same sweet street each and every day. We made friends whom we frequently visited and were able to do life.. With our new Ghanian friends we cooked, did laundry, help set up shop, played with kids, & one day Heather, Adriana and I even helped fill up water buckets at a bathroom (random I know…).
Evangelizing looked like taking the time to see the people around you.
To help them with their daily tasks. Learn about their lives and their culture.
We made a friend who is Seventh Day Adventists-every day we stopped by to spend time with him. He told us about how he found Jesus, the difference between our religions, his life and we even went through some scripture and a photo album one day! Our difference in religion, skin color, nationality, and age didn’t stop a sweet, sweet friendship from happening. Encouraging him day after day was such a honor.
Evangelizing was something that completely scared me before doing the race. I kind of blocked it out of my brain and just assumed we weren’t going to evangelize-I was way wrong. (plug-if you’re going on the World Race, especially Africa, the odds of you evangelizing are pretttyyy high).
It was hard some days, but it was such an honor.
One of our friends from Cote d’ivoire said that we were like a letter from God to spur them on in their relationships with Jesus.
Maybe that’s what evangelizing is-a letter from God. People can open it, let it sit on the counter, skim it or really read it.
Just maybe an accumulation of these different letters and interactions talking about God is enough to bring people to Jesus.
But writing the letter & sharing the good news is our job as Christians. It is not our job to save people-that’s all Jesus.
It is our job to pray, simply be & love the souls around us in order to shine God’s light to them.
So wherever you are each day, do that.
Shine Jesus’ love in any way you can. THAT’S how to spread the Gospel-by being different and loving with Jesus’ love those around you.
So where does this leave me on earning the right to be heard?
I still believe Young Life’s platform is an awesome way to reach high school and middle school kiddos.
BUT, I also believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and the ability to reach someone you meet in passing.
I want to encourage you to be where your feet are and share Jesus’ love in any way you can.
Don’t be discouraged if God doesn’t use those exact moments to move mountains. You may not know the impact you are making until you are in heaven with Jesus, and that’s okay-but don’t discredit the letters of Jesus’ love you are spreading daily.
So, go on & spread Jesus’ love.
You were made for this.
