“Hey man, you don’t look like you’re dressed for a work out. Do you own the place?”
And so began our interaction…
I was leaving the H2O Center after doing my new swimming regimen, when a young man approached me just outside the door. I replied simply to his initial comments as I passed by him and continued on. Continued on until I heard him ask this question from behind me,
“Hey this is kind of a strange question, but I see lots of guys with nice cars and a big house, happy wife happy life y’know… How do you get that stuff? What’s the best way to get the good life?”
I stopped in my tracks. “Well, happiness doesn’t really come through that stuff.”, I replied.
“How do you find happiness?”, he asked.
Whoa, this is a God moment…
“Well, I can tell you how I found happiness, but it probably won’t be what others will tell you…”, I offered.
“Ok”
“God changed my life.”
“You mean religion?”, he asked.
“No, more of a relationship. Happiness comes from knowing the God who created you and loves you. You are not an accident.”, I sputtered out.
“Yeah I don’t know, my mom had me when she was really young.”, he doubted he wasn’t an accident.
“No, I mean it. You are not an accident. You are not a piece of slime that crawled up on the shore. You were created by a God who loves you and has a plan for you. You have been created with a God-shaped vacuum in you. You are made to know God and will never be happy without Him. Only Jesus can satisfy your thirst for life – stuff can’t do that.”, I continued.
We interacted for quite a while. I learned his name, about his family, his past, present and future, then referred him to a youth oriented, Jesus-centered meeting place where he could connect with people his age who know Jesus.
I kept thinking, “I have to ‘close’ this guy. I have to get him to meet Jesus.” And then, “I have to pray for him right now and right here.”
All the while I felt so awkward, like I was exercising a very weak muscle.
I learned about how he has a “freaky Jesus person” relative who had a negative effect on him and his mom. I was trying to be sensitive to that and not come on too strong, but didn’t want to miss what God wanted me to do.
We ended our conversation amicably and I moved on. I didn’t ‘close’ him and I didn’t pray for him. My head was reeling…
What was that Lord? I had so many thoughts…”One sows, one waters, another reaps…”, “That felt so awkward. When was the last time I shared about Jesus with someone who didn’t know Him? Did I say the right things?”
As I tried to walk through this encounter with the Lord I pulled out a couple of lessons: I have to be ready to share with people about Jesus. I also don’t need to feel like I have to do everything in one conversation – share words of life and encouragement, and trust the Holy Spirit.
I thought of that old adage, “Preach the Gospel and, if necessary, use words.” I take this to mean we can often do a lot of talking and not a lot of practical work to help people. I also think we can do a lot of practical work to help people and not do any talking. For people to meet Jesus they need to hear words of life.
Clint Eastwood said in Pale Rider, “Faith without works ain’t worth spit!” (It’s a paraphrase of James 2:20) – which I believe. However, I also believe that faith without words ain’t worth spit!” We must be willing to share the reason for the hope we have in Jesus.
You have a Jesus story worth telling. Your journey with Jesus is your ‘testimony’ – and nobody can refute that. Yes, let’s do works in keeping with what we believe, but let’s also courageously share our Jesus journey. It’s not just works, and it’s not just words – it’s words and works.
May we be men who are ready to courageously share words of life with those hungry for life. Because, faith without words ain’t worth spit.
I Peter 3:15
“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”
Romans 10:14, 17
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”