It wasn’t long after becoming a new believer that I desired to reach out to people. I knew hospital visits were one thing many Christians did, so I started making them too. A woman came to me and shared that her elderly unsaved father was not expected to live much longer. She asked me to visit him. I
agreed, went to the book store, picked out a nice Bible for him and had it engraved. When I arrived, the man was seated in a wheelchair with a blanket over his lap. I introduced myself (wish I hadn’t) and asked if I could pray for him. He had a tube down his throat and physical problems that prevented him from speaking clearly; but he was obviously very upset about something. I asked if he needed a nurse. He waved his arms excitedly and shot fiery darts at me with his eyes. It was then I noticed a wheelchair across the room. What he was sitting on, thankfully with the blanket over his lap, was not a wheelchair. I
set the Bible down, told him I would be praying for him and skedaddled out of there.
Over the years I have blundered my way through some aspects of the Christian walk. Gaffes like the one mentioned happened just because I tend to be kind of human at times. Such mistakes, though not desirable, are at least honest. As for some of my other ‘mistakes’, they were actually full blown sins. One serious, long-lasting offense was how unapproachable I tended to be towards people who were deep in ‘serious’ sin. What is really weird is that I believed I was doing the right thing.
For years it was my understanding that we should share the gospel, but never get chummy with sinners. Early on I had been led to believe that although Jesus ate with sinners, it wasn’t a wise thing for us to do. I feared that being with sinners was risky to my own spiritual well-being. Many of my Christian
friends thought likewise. After all, we weren’t as strong as Jesus, and there are in fact scriptures about people impacting our thinking in a negative manner. However, those scriptures are not intended to keep us from prayerfully and carefully investing in relationships with the lost. Instead, they are intended to
keep us from becoming physically, spiritually or emotionally dependent on people who will lead us astray. Stop and think about it. If having an actual relationship with Jesus is so important, doesn’t it stand to reason that relating to God’s children may help the lost come to know Him? That is, of course, as long as His children don’t ‘murky-up’ His precious living water with an unwelcoming attitude.
Yes, Jesus is stronger than us. However, He said “Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:12-13 (NASB). We have the Holy Spirit in us and Jesus interceding for us. If the Lord puts someone on our heart to reach out to, we can and must do so with godly wisdom and love. (In certain circumstances, especially where temptation could be an issue, it is wise to have a brother or sister in Christ join us.) Just handing someone a Christian leaflet or Bible and then taking off isn’t the best way to reach out to the lost…well…not usually anyway. Oops