With all we hear about China and how difficult it is for the body of Christ to meet corporately, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the church there is growing.
My friend sent me an email recently and shared how God is moving in her country. She reminded me that individuals make up the church, and each person must be the church to someone. But in China, and many countries, when the person you want to reach for Christ is your elder, it can be extra challenging because you are going against the social norm and becoming the spiritual parent.
She explained that when your elder is a non-believer, you must start by introducing Jesus in a relevant way that meets a felt need. You pray for God to give you authority—even if the non-believer is your family member who is older than you and has relational authority over you. Such is the story of Ying (not her real name). Ying recently went home to be with family over a national holiday.
From Ying: “Honestly, in the past I never knew how to transition our family chit-chats into something that’s more spiritual. But over the years as I’ve been trained in our weekly outreaches, I now know that God is exactly what they need, so I no longer hem and haw. It helped to bathe this entire trip in prayer…and this time, I simply just told them about God, how He opened my womb and saved my marriage.”
“As I talked, it suddenly dawned on me that what was missing all along wasn’t so much of my ’skillset’ as it was my ‘mindset’ of being unapologetically passionate about God and His work in my life. I just had to tell it, and when I did, it felt so natural. The best part was, our elders sat quietly…and listened!”
Ying’s words touched me. I am thankful to have a legacy of faith, a genealogy of godliness, and a history of holiness. At our family gatherings, things naturally turn to spiritual discussions. Not theological discussions—more like examples of how we have seen God working in, around, and through us. But could I do what Ying did? Could I unapologetically and passionately share about God and His work in my life? I feel unequipped to share the gospel.
Sharing Christ isn’t so much about my skillset as my mindset.
My screen blurred. This young woman had much to lose. Not only were her family relationships at risk but potentially her job and life. Would I be willing to do the same if in her shoes?
In my home country of America, I am free to attend worship, speak freely of what God has done in my life, and openly ask a server if I can pray for him or her—and then do so in the restaurant. But do I?
In the quietness of my office, I prayed: Lord, make me bold in the faith, willing to uphold and share your name and the gift you so freely give to those who need you. Amen.
Rather than just pray for God to give me opportunities, I should follow Ying’s example and share what God is doing in my life. Will you join me in making and taking opportunities to share Christ?
How does this phrase: “Sharing Christ isn’t so much about my skillset as my mindset,” affect you? Do you have a similar experience? Connecting with you and getting to know you is important to me. Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Thank you. This is such a good reminder.
Hey, sweet friend. We all need the reminders. Thank you for leaving a comment.