its so easy to get caught with evangelism.what is the best thing to say? how can we convince people that they should believe in God? what needs to be done before they can see that God is real and good? how can we help people see that they need God? the truth is, we can't. God is the only one who can convict their hearts. what we can do is live our lives for God and just allow Him to work through us.
over the past few months, i've been learning how action really does speak louder than words, and it's amazing to witness what God can really do when you just be yourself, and let Him do the work. living your life in honor of God, in obedience to His word, is the greatest testimony to people that surround you. it is one thing to say that you believe in God, but it means a lot more when what you do show that you believe in God.
not all too surprisingly, people tend to respond a lot more when u're not shoving the bible or God in their faces. how i learned this? doing stalls. basically u have a team of people that set up these wee little stores just outside the smoking areas of the unions where students go to party, especially on the weekends, and offer free tea, coffee and biscuits. while doing it, just chat with people about anything and everything, not necessarily about God. people are always interested and blown away that people would sacrifice their nights, to stand out in the cold, offering free tea and coffee. they see the action, and are touched by it. and over time, there has been testimonies of people who come by week after week (because they are there partying every week) who have been blessed by volunteers running the stalls, and slowly God convicted them and they were turning back to God or started reading the bible. all because someone cared to show them some love on the weekend.
i learned that, n the way i put it into practice while in Scotland, was that if i was out with my friends, (which usually involved partying) i made sure that even when we had drinks, i never got drunk. that usually gets people to question why, and i was very surprised of how respectful people would be toward my decision. i would just be me, be a friend to my friends, and even just through that, God worked through me and people saw God in me. it wasn't me that made it happen, it was God.
one of the most encouraging experiences was with my rugby captain. who from the first day i met, saw her reject a christian and made me fearful of what she would think when she finds out i am a christian. but instead, we got along great. n by the time it came for me to leave Scotland, she asked if i would pray for her. n hear her say that because i was a christian who never shoved the bible in her face, she's started reading the bible again. you never know what God is doing to what may seem the hardest of hearts.
there are lots of broken people out there. just be yourself and love people for who they are. your action will show them how much God loves them as well. and allow God to do the conviction. :)
