Recently I was reading a daily devotion, and the thought was presented that our Christian walk is more than just a personal relationship with Jesus and personal salvation.  I was startled by this declaration at first until I realized that the writer was making a call to total discipleship.

The point was that Jesus would not have been satisfied for us to rest in this blessing, content in our own comfort.  His call was always for service, for reaching out to others with the good news of Jesus.



From the great commission in Matthew 28: 16-20 through the example and teachings about simple, loving service in John 21, Jesus was continuously concerned about His followers sharing His love and truths with others.

Our effort to share the saving truth of Jesus with a sometimes hostile world reminds me of my husband's experience the other evening.  As he was returning home from work, a neighbor boy was standing on his bike in the middle of the road.  He would not move and seemed to be just daring my husband to hit him.  While neighbors looked on, Lowell held onto his temper and waited patiently.  Finally, he slowly drove around the boy by pulling the car almost into the grass.

Sometimes the secular world is similar.  "I just dare you to tell us anything new or useable about this Jesus you serve!"  "I just dare you to show how your faith in Jesus makes a real difference in your life!"  "I just dare you to have the courage to speak out, to make me see!"

And we do need to take up the challenge--to patiently tell, explain, and show through our living that the Christian life is the complete life, the full life, and the way to life everlasting.  We need to use the Bible effectively and live purposely, sharing and caring through thought, word, and deed. We need to be ready to make sacrifices and even to suffer if need be.

As we progress to the final stage of our earthly faith journey-- living daily for Jesus--we need to have the courage to witness, to make a change in the lives around us.  The world needs to see our faith in action.  Sharing "spiritual treasure" is both a privilege and a requirement.  But the rewards are immense--and everlasting!

 

Mary-Ellen Grisham is a Christian writer living in Godfrey, Illinois, with her family. She is the Editor of Eternal Ink, a Christian ezine newsletter, and the author of a new book Grace Notes. She can be reached at meginrose@charter.net andmeginrose@gmail.com