February 18, 2019

A few months back I started this post and have yet to publish it. But my ideas have shifted slightly since I put down some notes on what I wanted to talk about. The statement that I wanted to focus on was “if you love Jesus you’ll talk about Jesus.” Now to me, this statement is very much true, and people do tend to talk about what is important to them in their life… but I also believe that Jesus wants us to take it a step further. At least that is what He told His disciples…

The other day I noticed out my window that our down stairs neighbor was unloading a trailer and that she was doing it by herself. I went outside and looked over the balcony as she was walking back up and I asked, “do you need any help?” She politely said that she was fine, but she had some heavier stuff at the end that she would come get me for, and I told her “just come knock on the door.” A little skeptical that she would come get me, she actually came up on got me. I went down and helped her boyfriend move that stuff in, she offered to pay me, I refused, and I went back upstairs.

Now the thing that was on the forefront of my mind was, “should I have said something about Jesus?” Should I have “informed” her of why I was helping her? That evening, God answered my question. I was finishing up a chapter in this book, Everybody Always, and this is the passage that Bob directs us to in regards to showing love to others.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in Heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.” Then He ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13-20

You see… the disciples had experienced Jesus because of His actions and because of the Father. It wasn’t that Jesus went around telling people that “He was the Messiah.” It was by His actions and the many miracles that He did, it was the love that He poured out to people in form of actions. More is going to happen when God reveals Himself to people than us merely telling people about Him. Actions are always going to speak louder than words.

God isn’t a time waster, He is the Perfect Matchmaker and He will bring you to people who need you and in turn you need them. That is what Jesus wants from us, to be there for the people the He places in our life and in our path. Are there times to preach the Gospel and share Christ that way, absolutely! But again, the largest impact is going to be from outward actions and the act of doing things in ways that people have never seen before.