Planting Seeds of Love

Part of being a Christian is sharing the gospel with others. Many of us are familiar with Matthew 28:18-20, which some call the great commission. We know the good news: that Jesus saves and forgives us, sinners who can't save ourselves. He came to earth as a human and made a huge sacrifice out of love for us. He died, and then He rose again! It's some pretty great news! But how do we tell others? It can be awkward to bring up the good news about Jesus around others, especially when a lot of people have preconceived ideas about who Christians are and what they believe. My college pastor had some great advice about this, and I'm going to tell you what she told me. The key is love. And trust. This is not about lecturing people or shouting the gospel at them. This process begins with demonstrating the love of Christ to people you interact with. This includes having relationships with people. Even more than being a good friend and a good neighbor, you can share life with people who aren't Christians. Keep in mind, we don't just have relationships to convert people; that wouldn't be genuine. Instead, we honestly share life as equals, as friends. Being in community with people means learning from them and receiving their help, even as you offer what you have. And this is way better than dumping good news and leaving. After being in each other's lives for a while, you may have opportunities to share the good news naturally in conversation with these friends. Because they've probably noticed you acting lovingly toward people, even people who are mean to you, they might be more likely to listen to what you have to say. Then you can begin to plant seeds of the good news. You get to share the why behind how you have hope, and that why is the gospel. Through it all, God is with you, guiding and equipping you through His Holy Spirit in you. Remember, God can use simple acts of love and small conversations to grow good fruit. Also remember that people might reject Christ, and that's not your fault. This approach is about planting seeds and watching God help them to grow. Naomi Zylstra How did you learn about the gospel? How have you seen other people share the gospel? Was it effective? But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere Acts 1:8a (NLT)   Read Verses: Matthew 22:34-Matthew 22:40; Matthew 28:18-Matthew 28:20; 1 Corinthians 3:6-1 Corinthians 3:7; Acts:1:8