Answering the call: Sharing Jesus in everyday life

Jesus said before he ascended into Heaven - ‘As the Father sent me, I’m sending you’ Then he breathed on them and said ‘receive the Holy Spirit’.

We know what God sent Jesus here to do, it’s very well documented in the Gospels - Jesus gave love, healing and kindness to everyone he met and he shared stories, incredible words of wisdom to show us how to live our lives. He gave us the perfect example to follow and to live out in our communities. He gave each and every Christian that mission.

As followers of Christ, how do we respond to this? Are we being obedient to His command? Can we hear God saying ‘This is my son/daughter, with Him I am well pleased’ or do we fall short? How high on our priority list is sharing Jesus?

Blowing kisses to God - who in your life needs to hear about Jesus?

I recently had a chat with Andy Hawthorn from the Message Trust. He shared a story about his wife; she had no connection with the Christian faith, even from way back, but from a young age she’d been blowing kisses to God without knowing Him or why she felt the need to do that. As a little girl she would stand outside the church watching the children go to Sunday school, longing to go in. A school friend called Claire invited her to a Christian gig and later, when she gave her life to Christ, everything made sense.

Some people are living their lives with a hunger to know more, because God is working on their hearts; they are desperate for that conversation with a Christian. Could you be that Christian? Until you find the courage to share your faith, your friends might not know why they feel the need to blow kisses to God.

Sow plenty of seeds, some will grow, most won't but don't give up!

Quite often, people will say ‘What is about you that’s different? There’s something about you that I don’t have, what is that?’ Go for it, tell them all about Jesus and how he’s changed your life.

Grab those opportunities with both hands. That person in your life could be crumbling inside and you might be their path to the hope that is only found in Jesus. So don't shy away, jump in! I dread to think how my life would have turned out if Paul hadn’t befriended me, shared his faith and then introduced me to Jesus. I was at my lowest point. To the outside world, everything was great but inside I was falling deeper and deeper into despair and couldn't see a way out. Then God sent Paul into my life and I was baptised. Always give those people in your life the opportunity to find out more about Jesus; some will say ‘yes’ and some will say ‘no’ or ‘not now’ and that’s ok, you’ve done your bit, let the Holy Spirit guide you and work in their heart to prompt them to find out more in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Spend time with Jesus, listen to what He has to say, He’s put you in this world to talk about Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and show you how to talk about Him and who to talk to. God has given us all gifts which suit our personality and put us in particular places with people needing to hear about Him, creating a rich and diverse mix of His people equipped to share Him. Will you be obedient?

The power of prayer

As you start those conversations, be confident that your prayers for those you get to know are being heard by God and also that others in their lives could be praying for them too. Parents, brothers, sisters, friends, you are part of that rich tapestry. They could have people in their lives who have been praying for years, desperate for them to know Him and He has sent you to guide them in friendship. We don't always listen to family members but when we meet people that we can really relate to, our ears and hearts are far more receptive. Could you be that friend?

Be curious and interested

Sharing thoughts and ideas often leads to friendships as we discover more about each other, the similarities and the differences. Doing life together will often unearth something deep in a friend's heart that they’ve been longing to talk about. Show that you care, love them, be kind, really get into the mess with them and sometimes that will arrive at place where you can share your experiences with them, where your hope comes from and that they can have that too, in the good times and the bad.

Our desire for human connection can only truly be satisfied by God. When life feels lonely and unsatisfying, He is the only way to know complete love, hope and joy.

Is yours a life well lived?

Look up to God, give thanks for sending His son to this broken world to teach us and to forgive us. Ask Him, ‘who would you have me share my story with, my love for you and yours for me, your precious child?’.

Is that how you will respond?

The Isaiah 61 Movement (i61m)

Do you have people in your life longing to find out more about Jesus? Are you willing to jump in and start a conversation? Turn your good intentions into actions by joining the Isaiah 61 Movement. Launched in March 2023 with the mission of empowering every Christian to confidently share life, faith and Jesus. At the heart of the movement is the i61m app, where you can set acts, track your progress and connect with others in the i61m community. Super charge your acts through prayer in your Christian groups and be inspired by a range of resources and support including the helpful i61@home videos, Take5 (minutes) shorts with challenges and words of encouragement, all available for free.

Support i61m and other charities sharing Jesus with a Stewardship Giving Account

Over 30,000 Christians currently use their Stewardship Giving Account to help them develop their levels of generosity. It’s easy to set up and you can be quickly giving to the causes that you love. With Stewardship’s Instant Gift Aid you can also add 25% to each and every eligible gift you make.

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