Sharing the love of Jesus with friends and family is often a
marathon--not a sprint.
I have one family member who came from a very intellectual
background. He was a deep thinker, a committed reader, and waffled between
atheism and agnosticism. I prayed for him, shared my own journey with Jesus,
and presented the Gospel to him on many occasions over two decades.
Sometimes when I was praying the hardest and having some of
the best spiritual conversations with him, he seemed farther from God than
ever. It just didn’t make sense to me. It was very frustrating.
At times, I felt
disheartened, discouraged and ready to give up. But God kept calling me to pray, share again, and look
for new ways to connect him to Jesus.
After close to 20 years of walking with this man, his
heart began to soften. When he finally cried out to Jesus for new life, he was
transformed. It took more than two decades of prayer, sharing,
and risk-taking conversations, but it was all worth it.
Pray for patience as you reach out to your friends, family members
and new connections God is forging. Be in it for the long haul! Don’t give up
on them.
God is still working. Their hearts might be more open than
you realize. Keep loving, praying, serving and sharing. This could be the day.
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For more, see Organic Outreach for Families
by Kevin and Sherry Harney
