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God Want to Say Something to the World Through Me

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 1 Peter 3:15-16 (KJV)

Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15b-16 (TEV)

Question to Consider:
As I reflect on my personal story, who does God want me to share it with?
Whenever I run into young mothers-to-be I’m always compelled to share my story and to encourage them not to give up. Whenever I talk to people who are discouraged and depressed, I can’t help but share my story with them as well. But the problem with talking, is that I’m not the best at leading a conversation and when I don’t know people very well and haven’t had an opportunity to hear about their experiences, I am often very reluctant to share my personal stories with them. That’s a weakness of mine that I must rely on grace for help – but what I lack in verbal communication, God has blessed me with written communication. I grow more and more certain each day, that I am to attempt to reach people with my writing.

It makes sense because I can reach more people, I don’t have to be everywhere they are (which means I don’t have to worry about socializing and being shy), and so long as whatever texts I create exist, so will my story even long after I’m gone.

So this blog is more than my ministry to believers, it can also be the vehicle for my mission to nonbelievers. When I first started this blog, I sought out other Christian blogs, after this 40 Days of Purpose series, I will begin to seek out others and spread my story that way. So if you know of anyone who could benefit from a postive message and some encouragement, pass my link on to them. If you’ve read this chapter, you’ll remember that we must pray for those who are unbelieving and bring them to Christ through our life message first, then when they are ready, we can begin sharing Scripture with them.

Important Quotes:
“When you became a believer, you also became God’s messenger.” (Warren, 289)

“You may feel you don’t have anything to share, but that’s the devill trying to keep you silent. You have a storehouse of experiences that God wants to use to bring others into his family.” (Warren, 289)

“Your Life Message has four parts to it:

• Your testimony: the story of how you began a relationship with Jesus
• Your life lessons: the most important lessonts God has taught you
• Your godly passions: the issues God shaped you to care about most
• The Good News: the message of salvation” (Warren, 289-90)

“Sharing your testimony is an essential part of your mission on earth because it is unique. There is no other story just like yours, so only you can share it. If you don’t share it, it will be lost forever.” (Warren, 290)

“Shared stories build a relational bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to theirs.” (Warren, 290)

“Another value of your testimony is that it bypasses intellectual defenses. Many people who won’t accept the autority of the Bible will listen to a humble, personal story.” (Warren, 291)

“The best way to “be ready” is to write our your testimony and then memorize the main points. Divide it into four parts:

• What my life was like before I met Jesus
• How I realized I needed Jesus
• How I committed my life to Jesus
• The difference Jesus has made in my life” (Warren, 291)

“You should make a list of all the problems, circumstances, and crises that God has brought you through. Then be sensitve and use the story that your unbelieving friend will relate to best. Different situations call for different testimonies.” (Warren, 291)

“While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others. There isn’t enough time to learn everything in life by trial and error. We must learn from the life lessons of one another.” (Warren, 292)

“Write down the major life lessons you have learned so you can share them with others. We should be grateful Solomon did this, because it gave us the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, which are filled with practical lessons on living.” (Warren, 292)

“God gives us different passions so that everything he wants done in the world will get done. You should not expect everyone else to be passionate about your passion…Never belittle someone else’s godly passion.” (Warren, 293)

“Whenever you feel apathetic about your mission in the world, spend some time thinking about what Jesus did for you on the cross.” (Warren, 294)

“As long as you know one person who deson’t know Christ, you must keep praying for them, serving them in love, and sharing the Good News. As long as there is one person in your community who isn’t in the family of God, your church must keep reaching out.” (Warren, 294)

“Of these five purposes the fifth [your mission] can only be done on earth.” (Warren, 295)

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