‘Nit-picking’ or ‘Net-drawing?’
My wife was traveling to Hickory, North Carolina this week and seated beside her on the plane was a young man on his way to a facility to “dry out.”
She talked to him about his need to overcome in this area of his life and he explained that he had tried everything and basically, this was the last resort.
Beth shared with him that when he has the emotional and physical side of alcoholism under control, he still needs to address the spiritual side of his life.
He replied that the facility had touched on that but he didn’t fully understand.
For Beth, that was an “open door” for her to share what Jesus could do for him. She wasn’t able to lead him to the Lord, but he promised her he would think about what she had said.
Every one of us needs to be busy telling others about what Christ can do for them. (Matthew 28:19-20) We have been given our “marching orders” and I am concerned that we are not marching very well.
Over the course of a 35-year ministry, I have seen a number of Christians fail to be a witness for the Lord.
They get their eyes off “net-drawing” and on “nit-picking.”
Many times, ministry is left on the back burner for someone else to do. Do you realize that God has called you to be a minster for Him? See…it’s not about us.
It’s not about what is or what is not being done at the church we attend. It’s not about the music or the order of service or what special song is sung or what the choir’s song was about.
It’s not even about whether you liked the pastor’s message or not or even if you got anything out of the message at all.
The bottom line is this: We have a ministry to do and if we don’t do it, it’s not going to get done. Period.
The devil is very good about getting our eyes off the “Main Thing” and getting them on everything else, but if we don’t tell someone about Christ, it might not get done. We might be the only “Jesus” they will see today, and if we fail them, who will tell them?
What if someone needs to hear you tell them about what God has done in your life, and you fail to do it and they go out into eternity not knowing Christ as their Savior?
That’s a horrible thought, but I bet it happens more than we know.
I hope each one of us will stop being a “sponge” (a sponge sits, soaks and sours) and that we will start sharing what we know about Christ with others.
If you knew today was your last day on this earth … would you live it any differently?
Remember, God loves you just like you are, but He loves you too much to leave you like that.”
Pastor Thad Gifford is lead pastor of the Crossroads Community Church of Madison County, 62 E. Second St., London. He can be reached at (740) 852-7800, e-mail him at sermon8er@aol.com or at their website www.3c-church.org.
