Evangelism Sometime Hurts

This is very true when sometimes after all our efforts, our friend whom we are sharing the love of Christ ignores it and turn his back from you. There are even times that your prospect will even tell you all the negative things.

Below is a very nice story of persistence in evangelism. I really do hope that every Christian will have a heart like this.

When Evangelism Hurts

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jenny_Araojo]Jenny Araojo

One friend once commented, it’s just some type of a networking campaign. Another friend also commented what he witnessed from two Christian people only voids the Christian ideals. He never returned to the Church and I was left broken. Still, I gave another friend some directions to our satellite Church outside the country as I encouraged him to attend the Church. I ended getting frustrated that he failed to at least listen to God’s word that time. A few close people even thought it was just a waste of time and the more I felt the pain of failure. Is it always this difficult?

Evangelism – however it went, it all boils down to ones pride as a Christian. It is always my greatest desire to share my happiness with others especially the ones I love. Like how Jesus explained in the bible, a person who is endowed by a priceless gift would never rest until he has shown it to everyone. Similarly, I shared my happiness to everyone only to have found out that I am always left broken. Why does it hurt? Why does it frustrate? Does it hurt because others do not accept what I believe in? Or does it pain because they don’t share my faith? Shouldn’t God feel worse?

My intentions have always been from the heart. Deep within, I know that this is a great deed but it wasn’t at all easy. Even the closest people to my heart would even fail to lend their ears. It was more painful.

Better yet, with all these trials, I never gave up. In my littlest ways, I attempted to fulfill my heart’s desires. It took me a long while until I discovered some great results…

At first, it started with my friend accepting my favorite bible. It had always been my prayer for him to keep a habit of talking to God everyday so he can feel the happiness that I feel as a Christian. I even tried to squeeze in some time to leave Bible passages on his classroom’s white board for him to read them. By then, I would be very sure that his busy schedule wouldn’t be much of a problem for him. Intelligent as he is, he would simply leave remarks that he likes those passages and he could relate. Those moments felt truly warm and I felt more than happy to have heard his comments. I can never forget how he would keep repeating those passages and they all sounded music to my ears. Still, I kept on praying for him to have the habit.

Only yesterday, this very friend of mine approached me. He was firmly holding the Global edition bible that I gave him and he was boldly telling me that he liked Matthews. With full surprise and happiness from an answered prayer, it seemed like a cat got my tongue and I didn’t react immediately. All that I could simply do was to reply that it was good to start reading with Matthews. My feelings then were truly indescribable. All I knew was that I was entirely happy.

Pleased about my answered prayers, I hurriedly prayed on my way home. As I talked to God, some thoughts popped in my mind that I suddenly realized one thing. — I have always wanted my loved ones to be like me in faith but sometimes I fail to recognize that God has already planted seeds in their hearts. The very moment that my loved ones lent their ears and accepted God, the Lord would never let them go. It shouldn’t be painful for me because they are seeds that need patience to grow well and robust. I need to stop expecting that they would work as how I do today as a Christian. That though we all have the same spirits; we all have different gifts, kinds of service and different kinds of working. (1 Cor 12:4-6) Perhaps God is leading them for a different purpose, different as how we want them to be…

Then again, it goes the same for a brother of mine. I truly felt happy to have found out that he declares himself a Christian. He has faith and he has the heart to state it with pride. I may have failed to encourage him as how I wished for, but God made a way for him to be evangelized in a different way. In my brother’s situation, I remembered Paul. Paul started evangelizing his own people and not the other disciples. Perhaps, my brother met another Paul and I am just one of the other disciples. I do not know how it all happened but all I know, things works well with God’s help. It all happened in God’s own plan and it felt truly happy for me.

With all these, evangelizing shouldn’t hurt after all. When evangelism hurts now, perhaps later it won’t. If not me, perhaps another Christian. If not us, God would make a way.

Jenglai.07.01.2008 ( http://jenglai.wordpress.com)

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