This has been on
my heart for quite some time now, but I have had trouble putting it into words.
This is a bit rough, and it may or may
not make sense to you. However, it makes sense to me.
Where did this
idea that only certain people are worth telling about Jesus come from?
Seriously. Why are we so comfortable with thinking that if someone comes to
church, then they will hear the Word…but if they do not, then it is not our
problem? Why is it okay to pass by someone that we KNOW needs to hear the gospel
and just not tell them? Why do we continue to think, “that is what pastors are
for” or “someone else will tell them.”
NO.
STOP.
What if everyone
passed by that same person and thought that exact same thing. That person would
never hear the Truth. They would never come to know Christ, because we were too
selfish to give them just a moment of our time! When did that start being
okay!? Pastors are called to share the gospel and shepherd the church body,
that is correct. However, we are also called to share the gospel.
Furthermore, Who
are we to decide if someone deserves to hear the gospel? What makes us important enough to decide who is worthy of the gospel? Who gave us the
authority to label someone “too far gone” “hopeless” or…. "not worthy”?
Seriously? I’m not sure about you, but I am most certainly not worthy of the amazing love and grace that God continues to show me every single day. Some of
the greatest champions of the gospel were once labeled as “too far gone”, “hopeless” and “not worthy”. Does the name Paul ring any bells! We are called to
share the gospel with this world. We are not called to judge people. We are not
called to determine who is worthy of the Truth. We are not called to decide if
someone deserves to know the love of Christ, we are merely called to love them
and share the gospel with them. Jesus paid much too high of a price for us to
pick and choose who is worthy. Seriously, what makes us think that we are
better off than someone else? This is a very lost and dying world and everyone should
hear the gospel, because the truth is that none of us are worthy of the gospel.
None of us are, but He loved us anyway, and the Lord is worthy to be praised by
all of his creation. Do not continue to idly stand by and watch your neighbors,
friends, and family perish simply because you are afraid that they are “too far
gone”. We were called to much higher. We live for the One who was and is and is
to come. We are the body of Christ, so we need to start looking like it. We
need to love the loveless and go where we may feel uncomfortable. We were
called to be courageous and to reach out our hand to this lost and dying world. We need to stop judging and labeling people and start loving them and sharing the good news with them.
“For
there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and
richly blesses all who call on Him. For, “Everyone who calls on
the name of the Lord will be
saved.”[a] How, then, can they call on the One they
have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not
heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can
anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the
feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:12-15