How many times have we heard these questions asked: Who is a Christian? And what is our purpose on this planet? I think it’s safe to say that for the sake of time and our sanity (perhaps even friendship), we stay away from these questions. The reason is that for some, these questions may sound a little like “what is the meaning of life”… and who won’t agree meddling in this area is the fast track to digress’endom? A similar, yet much easier idea to deal with is this… “When Christians have come and gone (moved on to the next community, city or died depending on how morbid we want to play this), what is the general feeling, sense or atmosphere that should be left behind?” In other words, what should be the aftermath of our immediate interaction with society?
Consider the phrase for a second “…the aftermath of our immediate interaction with society”. I don’t think many Christians reflect enough on the impact their words and behavior have on those around them - especially when they feel they are doing ‘Gods work’. I’ll give an example, and maybe you’ve been on the receiving end of this: A group goes out to spread the Gospel and you’re approached by maybe 2 or 3 members in that group. Now if you’re like me, you play into their hands a little and listen quietly to what they say. The general theme is this:
Are you a Christian? Why? God is the way the truth and the light, do you want to accept Him into your life? Yes? Pray with me. You’re invited to our church etc, be sure to come – and then they move on to the next person. Even those who asked for my number, I am more often than not left waiting indefinitely on that follow up call.
The problem with this is we give people barely five minutes of our time and walk away feeling like we’ve added to the Kingdom of God – it’s about US. Do we stop to consider what probably happens to these people? Many will settle back into the lives they were living before, and maybe run into another group of ‘evangelists’ who do the same thing. How many times do we think it’ll take until they realize we’re not doing it for them? How long until they are completely (and understandably) calloused to the gospel bearers and eventually the Gospel itself?
Now hear me, I’m not saying everyone is this way, nor am I just out to criticize the efforts of those out there trying to make a difference… BUT for those of us who can take it a step further, when dealing with people and their lives we must ensure that we take every measure to properly invite them into our family (the people, the church), care for them as we would a new family member, and to the best of our ability keep up with their progress both in and outside the church. It’s so important that we make it about THEM, not us – there’s a difference between believing that there’s good news a dying world needs to hear and going out to win souls so we feel like we’re doing this Christian thing right. It’s easy to tell when you are just another number, another ‘soul’ won by that person… it’s like mass marketing for Christ. Jesus had 12 disciples and the legacy He left behind is simple but perhaps the most powerful in history as we know it – Love.
Keep this in mind - we’re not here to discuss the dynamics of evangelism, just the impact of our actions, however noble our intentions
1 Corinthians 13 vs 4 – 8a
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never ends.
John 13 vs 34 – 35 (Jesus speaking after washing the feet of His disciples)
34
1 Corinthians 13 vs 1 – 3
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
The last passage hits it on the head (and I emphasized the ‘Nothing’ for… well, emphasis) – prophesy all day, prayer warriors, speak in tongues all you like… maybe even get thousands to call out to God… if you have not Love, you’ve got nothing as far as God is concerned. And it’s not just love for God, but love for each other, love for the people we speak to… enough love to want to mentor them all, walk with them and if you can’t to find someone who could, and if that’s not possible to pray that someone finds them… the key thing is it’s about THEM.
“Love is patient, love is kind… etc etc… Love never ends”
1 John 4 vs 8: Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Look at it this way, Jesus is seated in Heaven now awaiting his return. In the meantime, you and I are His ‘ambassadors’… His Vessels… Stewards… we are His representatives – think about it. As far as the non-religious guy on the street is concerned, WE are ‘Jesus’ (sounds blasphemous, I know… but think also about the weight of this responsibility).
Conclusion
If there was something to strive for as a Christian this is it – Love. Wherever we go, as Christians… if the “aftermath of our interaction with society isn’t patience, kindness… if it’s not love, then we’re leaving a legacy not worthy of the name we represent. Let those who understand tell others.
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