Nov 8, 2016

Are We Silent? || Discussion


"Why are we sitting here waiting until we die?"

The question caught me off guard.  I stared at my friend as he waved his deformed hands in the air.  Sunken eyes flashed as he stared into my face.

"The famine is everywhere!  If we go into the city, we die.  If we stay here, we die.  Who cares what happens to people like us?"

Us.  Through no one spoke the word, it hung in the air like the scent of a decaying carcass.  Lepers.  Unclean, dying lepers.  The very words seemed vile.


I stared at my three friends.  Ears, fingers, toes...they were slowly being eaten away by an invisible enemy.  Leprosy.  An unconquerable foe.

But it was worse than that.  Vacant eyes stared into nothingness.  Empty stomach refused to growl, knowing that there would be no response.  Hunger gnawed as painfully as the leprosy.  Threatening doom hung over our heads.

"The enemies will kill us if we try to leave."  My other friend said, his voice breaking.  He rubbed his last thumb over the stub of his hand.  "But we'll die either way."

The words should have sent a chill down my spine.  Instead I blinked.  What did it matter?  We slowly pulled ourselves to our feet.  Better to die a quick death by the sword than a long, foreboding starvation.

The enemy camp loomed over us as we stumbled forward.  Dark.  Dangerous.  Rough tents billowed in the early morning wind.  They were like fingers, reaching out to squeeze the life out of our lungs.  I shivered but pressed on.

A light hand touched my cloak.  I cut off a scream as I recognized one of my companions.  His voice dropped as he hissed in my ear, "Where are they?"

We froze, standing in perfect silence.  Not a cricket chirped.  Bleak silence hung in the air.  Like icicles, they seemed to dangle above us, eager to fall and wreak havoc at the least of disturbances.  I held my breath.

My friend took one tentative step forward than another.  Pushing his shoulders back, he shoved open the flap of a tent.

Empty.

The entire camp was deserted.

A smile broke out onto my face.  I rushed into tent after tent, throwing silver and gold coins and precious stones in the air.  I found one table loaded with a meal of my dreams.  Grapes, figs, raisins, breads...it was too much to take in.  I laughed as my friends slapped each other's backs, happy chatter ringing through the air.  We had hope!  The famine was gone!

I froze, a grape half way to my mouth.  "What are we doing?"  I looked down at the grape and dropped it back onto a plate.

"What?"  My friends lowered deformed hands to stare at me.  The joy that radiated in their faces froze, replaced by fear.

"We are doing wrong!"  My eyes opened wide.  "This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent!"  I motioned to the nearby city.  "They starve while we rejoice and feast?"

Silence filled the tent.  The same thoughts that plagued my mind raged in theirs.  Why would we spread good news to the ones who cast us out of the city?  The ones who mocked us because of our disease?  The ones who fed us scraps of food so we wouldn't clutter the streets with our dead bodies?  Why would we care for them?

I turned away.  "Do what you will, but I am going to share this good news."  The dust swirled under my feet as I stumbled back.  Away from the feast.  Away from the treasure.  It beckoned to me, calling my name.  But no.  I had a greater calling.  My pace quickened.

"Wait!"  Three lumbering figures followed, grins spreading across their faces.  "We will spread this good news!"

Together we shuffled towards the city.  Our backs were clothed with rags, but happiness filled our soul.  Our faces were calloused and distorted, but smiles creased them.  Our stomachs still churned in expectation of a future feast, but our hearts were full.

We were going to bring hope to the hopeless.  This was joy.  True joy.




As I read 2 Kings 7 today, I noticed this unusual passage.  Four lepers – despised, mocked, abandoned – rescued Samaria by discovering a treasure too good to keep to themselves.  They shared the good news with the people who avoided them, stared at them, and exiled them from the city.  Through miraculous circumstances, God selected four suffering lepers to deliver an entire city.

In last month's post, Their Desperate Plea, I shared my heart on the topic of witnessing.  But now I want to hear from you.

We, like the lepers of 2 Kings, have a choice to make.  We can spread this news of deliverance to the world or we can sit back and feast on the glory alone.  We can fill out stomachs or we can give to the hungry.  What have you decided?

Sharing your faith is one amazing benefit of being a Christian.  Sadly, we seem to see it as a daunting task or heavy burden.  As Christians, I want to know your thoughts.  Let us encourage one another to pursue a deeper relationship with our Savior while we share His love with the outside world.

Let's get conversation rolling, shall we?

Is there something keeping you from giving the Good News to starving soul?  Perhaps fear of rejection keeps your tongue tied from speaking Truth?  Or perhaps you don't see any opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people around you?

Have you ever shared your faith?  What were/are some of the struggles you faced?  How did you feel afterwards?

I encourage you not only to share stories and struggles from your own life but also to read and comment on those of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Let's get to know one another as we encourage and uplift each other in this noble goal.

And if you haven't accepted Jesus into your heart, I still would love to hear from you!  Has anyone shared their faith with you?

Comment Below!

54 comments:

  1. i love this story! it totally lets you enter in to the lepers' experience in a deeper way. awesome job!

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    1. Thank you, sweet Chloë. =) I'm glad you enjoyed it!

      Have you had the opportunity to share your faith with others? I don't mean witnessing as only going through the Salvation plan. I think witnessing also can mean challenging people to research what happens after death, to read the Bible, etc. =) Stepping out of our comfort zone is definitely hard, but it's also very worth it!

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    2. Hmmm...I'd love to bring this up with the rest of you...what is witnessing? I personally think it's sharing/asking questions that talk to people about Jesus. I think we should witness with our life(being an example to others), but I don't we should ever just witness with our life. The Gospel is the "good news"...how do you share that Jesus died for someone's sins without using words? I'm just not sure that's what Jesus called us to do although we definitely should be an example with our life. What do you all think?

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    3. That's a tough question, Hannah. =) I think witnessing can be described in many different ways. Anything that points to Jesus can be forms of sharing our faith. One dictionary loosely says that witnessing is "giving evidence of." I think if we are showing "evidence" that Jesus can save, that is the gist of witnessing. However, just being a good example isn't exactly what I mean by that. The Gospel needs to be not only words but also actions in our daily lives. But for me, witnessing means challenging a person to seek out the Truth. This might be by sharing my testimony, asking them a thought provoking question, or even sharing the entire Gospel with them. When someone leaves a conversation wanting to know more about salvation and seeking it out for themselves, that is witnessing. (of course, you could say that we should answer their questions, but the Bible works very well without our help too) ;)

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    4. Yes, I would agree! Our lives should be examples, but words are the way we share the good news. And definitely sharing our testimony, asking them good questions, all of that sort of thing is witnessing. And I do think we can witness with our life, but I don't think that should ever be the only kind of witnessing a person does on a regular basis. You had great thoughts! =)

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    5. Thank you. =) Witnessing by our actions is definitely a good thing to do...but have you ever found that sometimes nonbelievers are just as friendly, uplifting, and loving as believers? I know several that are almost nicer than some Christians I know. I think that's one reason why we can't sit back and hope that someone will notice that we're different. We definitely need to live as Christians, but we also need to speak as Christians. When Jesus was on earth, He taught and lived out His words. =)

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    6. Yes, that is exactly what I mean! A lot of people have an excuse that "I'll just let them see my life" like I said in my blog post and they don't actually witness with words. And yes, I do know some non-believers that are nicer than believers...it's such a sad thing....because all believers should be different than non-believers. :(

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    7. Yeah, it's supposed to be the difference between dark and light (unbelievers and believers) not different shades of gray!
      -Ariel

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    8. I completely agree...We should be shining bright and clear as believers. How sad when we instead live like everyone else in the world. =(

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  2. You did a great job with the story, Hosanna! I don't think I've ever read that passage before- it sounds very interesting. ;)

    Your discussion posts are always so good! I will admit- it's really hard to share the gospel sometimes! I find myself telling myself that I'm not the right person to do it, since I'm always super-shy around people that I don't know and wouldn't know what to say. But I also know that God can (and does!) use everyone, no matter their personality, for His glory, so if I simply obey, He will direct me and my words.

    Thank you for the beautiful reminder! <3

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    1. Hey, I just wanted to reply to this comment and say that this post might help you overcome the fear you have. http://www.girldefined.com/god-teenage-girl-accomplish-impossible Take courage, sweet girl! Nothing is impossible with God!
      -Ariel

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    2. Thank you, Ariel! I appreciate the link (I love GirlDefined!) and the encouragement so much. ♥

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    3. I knowww, right?! I just found GirlDefined recently, and their blog is sooo encouraging and helpful!
      -Ariel

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    4. Girl Defined is the best, isn't it? Their posts are always so relevant to Christian girls which I love! And they are so sweet too. :)

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    5. I totally understand, Emily. We come up with a million and one reasons why we don't need to be the ones sharing our faith with others. I do it myself, so don't think I'm judging you at all! Witnessing a is scary, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable place to be. =) Stepping out of our comfort zone isn't my favorite. But when we actually do it, our relationship with God grows! I have found that when I ignore the awkwardness of the moment and step out to do God's will, I end up having such joy and peace afterwards. If only we remembered that truth when the decisions to speak came along. =)

      And thanks for the link, Ariel! =) What a good reminder.

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    6. You're most welcome! =) (btw, what I said about GirDefined was in NO WAY meant to put your blog down--just wanted to clarify. =) I love your blog so much!)
      -ARiel

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    7. Oh, I understand, Ariel! I've heard so much about Girl Defined, and I've looked at it a little myself. =) It seems like it has been a blessing for a lot of girls! =)

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  3. SERIOUSLY GIRL. You are the bestest. ♥ LOOOOVE this post! I'm so glad that you are getting a discussion started about this!! You are definitely a vessel God is using. =)
    I do have a desire to reach the lost that I'm sure I'll never lose. This passion entered my heart about six months after I accepted Jesus into my heart, and since then I feel like it's been built into my spiritual DNA. It's not something that's going to leave me, but I feel like my commitment to the lost is wavering. I feel like I don't commit to praying for them as much as I should, I don't actually work to reach my goal of telling them the Gospel as often as I need to. I don't want to slip into the rut of apathy and stop caring! That would be so bad, and something Jesus would never do. My dream, the goal that I desire to reach, is actually getting out into public places and telling the Good News to everyone! I have shared my faith before, but it was with people I know better in not very public situations. It's hard because sometimes I pick the wrong person to tell the Gospel to (they are believers already *smile*) and sometimes I say the wrong thing. But then I can look back on it and learn from my mistakes! =)
    Anyway, I bet this is going to get long. =p But this is something God has really put on my heart, and I'm so glad you posted about it!! =)
    -Ariel

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    1. Great point about praying for the lost, Ariel! I think that there are two (at least two) traps we can fall into regarding witnessing: (1)only praying and (2)only sharing. One is an "excuse" to shy away from the great privilege and responsibility of spreading the good news, while the other is fooling ourselves into believing that we are the ones doing the saving and that we don't need God. I tend towards either extreme before I tend towards the right balance. More recently I've tended towards the "not praying" extreme, which was why I really appreciated your comment on praying for the lost. Do you tend towards any of these extremes?

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    2. Good points, Jordy! I feel like I've been leaning to the 'only praying' extreme. I don't even feel like I've been praying for the lost as much as I used to. =(
      This desire to reach the lost won't leave me forever, I'm sure, but I want to get out there and use it. Some people have told me that at this time in my life, my teen years, is the time for learning. It is the time to get more Bible knowledge and life experience, and then I can use that in witnessing once I get older. I respect and love these people, and their words have validity; perhaps this is what God means for my early teenage years to be. What are your thoughts on this?
      -Ariel

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    3. Hey! I'm going to pop into this conversation. :) I would really, really encourage you Ariel not to think of this time as a "preparing" time. In the book I read Grace say's that right here, right now is the best time to witness. It's so easy for us to make the excuse that I need to learn more before I witness, but these years are sooo important to witness in and so I would really encourage you not to wait, but to start right now. David Platt says that the best way to learn more and grow in God is to witness. So I would encourage you to start right now! =) I know how hard it is though!! *sigh* :)

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    4. Great thoughts. =) Ariel, I love your passionate heart for the lost! I do understand how the fire can seem to dim over time. I am reading a book about witnessing called Just Walk Across the Room that shows the trend that is common in modern Christians. On rare occasions, our witnessing lives improve as we get to know Christ better throughout the years. However, most of the time our passion spikes when we become Christians and then lessons as the cares of the world smother our fire. Sadly, this is a common problem in the American church. We watch an impacting sermon...and within hours, it has fled from our minds and hearts. We must deliberately make the choice to act on our convictions. (especially when it's hard) ;) I haven't been faithful to witness in my early years as a Christian. Only recently has this passion come into my heart. How do I keep faithful at my pursuit to tell others about Jesus? I think we all need to be sure to make it a habitual part of our lives. Sharing Jesus isn't a part time job. It's a life-style!

      I love the points that Jordy and Hannah shared. =) I do want to encourage you NOT to wait to share the Gospel until you are older. As a young lady, you have advantages at your age. (and I am near your age, I believe…) =) I think most people you encounter will give you extra grace, being young. They won't expect you to "know every answer." I also think that people in general are more open to teenage girls than adults...they let down their guard. (and we rush in with the sword of the Spirit! hehehehe. How sly we are!) Don't wait until you are older. Even if this is a preparing time, why don't you prepare by witnessing right now? =)

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    5. Great thoughts on this, Hannah and Hosanna!
      I was kind of wondering about this myself, but it really does make more sense to think of it as preparing by actually witnessing right now. It gives you experiences to learn from, in my opinion!
      I've learned so much from reading all these lovely comments. :)

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    6. Ariel, you asked me about my thoughts... I think Hannah and Hosanna already responded far better than I would have. I must say, I smiled when I read Hosanna's words, that people let down their guard with teenage girls and then we rush in with the sword of the Spirit.

      XD But in all seriousness, I agree that being young and inexperienced, we have less Biblical knowledge than we will some day in the future. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to think about how we can be humble when we share the gospel (rather than waiting altogether)? Perhaps, while many teenagers try to justify their mistakes, we can acknowledge them and find our identity in Christ's perfection, rather than in our own (or lack thereof)?

      I'm just thinking out loud, really... what do you think?

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    7. I agree, Jordy! I definitely don't have answers for everything, but it's true that if we witness and those questions come up then we will be forced to discover the answers. =)

      I appreciate you sharing your input. This has been both fun and impacting. =)

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    8. @Hannah: Please pray for God to give me opportunities!! I have such a longing to share the Gospel, and I know that if God has given me this desire, He WILL fulfill it!
      @Hosanna: Hey, I think I would like to read that book! Who is the author?? I looked for 'One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven' at our library, but I couldn't find it. =( I haven't read many books solely based on witnessing, but I sure would like to soak up any inspiration and information that I can! =)Do you have any suggestions? Yeah, we need to tend to this fire in our hearts! I remember feeling really fired up to reach the lost last night while thinking of the comments on this post. Ya'll are awesome. =) Like I asked Hannah, could you also pray for witnessing opportunities for me? =)
      @Jordy: I know...I sure hope I will use my sword well! =) Yeah, you do have a point. I think that anyone who is saved can witness, so long as they know the basics. If they have been saved, they must know enough to tell others how they can be saved, too! =) I think that having less Biblical knowledge and being more inexperienced like you said, before we go out and witness, we should at least familiarize ourselves with common doubts and questions unbelievers might have--that way we will be able to find Scripture to combat it with! I don't feel like we need to spend all our teenage years preparing for it, though...we need to actually get out and use this knowledge! I would love to tell somebody the Good News! Can you also pray that God would give me opportunities to share the Gospel? =)
      -Ariel

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    9. Ariel, of course I will be praying for you! =) I think we should all be praying for one another to have opportunities and courage to share our faith. I would love if you prayed for me as well! =)

      One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven is written by Mark Cahill. You can find it pretty cheap on Amazon if you are willing to buy a used copy. =) I do hope that you can find it...it encouraged me and my brother to both examine our lives and share the Good News more. =) I would also recommend a sermon series my family is watching by David Platt called Threads. (I think we watch it on YouTube) It is really helpful about how to thread in the Gospel in daily conversations. =) You are awesome as well! You have been such an encouragement to me. =)

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    10. Thank you, dear! =) AND YES OF COURSE I'll pray for you, too!
      Hmm...I might buy it. I should go look and see how much it costs! Yeah, from what I've heard, it does seem like it will be really encouraging and inspiring. =) Oooh, I should also look at Threads! Man, you guys are the best. I remember writing in my journal just recently that I want someone passionate about sharing the Gospel, someone to pray for me, keep me accountable, that sort of thing. I do believe God has answered this prayer through the community of girls I have found here! =)
      -Ariel

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    11. That is amazing, Ariel!!! Don't you love when God works in unexpected ways like that? I'm so glad that we were able to bless you by this conversation. =) I have enjoyed it as well!

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    12. Oh Ariel, I am praying for you. I love the community that we find in the Body of Christ. If you think of it and God puts it on your heart, please pray for me, too. You can pray specifically that I would be faithful to follow through with opportunities He gives me to witness, and that I would honor Him. May He be glorified in all that we do - for all of us.

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    13. Definitely, Jordy! =) I will be keeping you in my prayers. It is so beautiful how God has been working in and through your life as you reach out to others. ♥

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  4. Thank you so much for this post, Hosanna!
    I have to admit that I've only shared the Gospel with two people in my life; one, my sister, and two, a boy who believes in aliens (it was a while ago and I don't remember his name...)
    For me, witnessing is really hard because I never really get the chance, so I'm not used to doing it.
    I'm homeschooled, so the only times I really see people is at Church, Youth Group, or Co-op. And everyone's heard the Gospel there...
    I really want to witness and get used to doing it (I'm pretty shy...) but how can I if there's no one around me to witness to?
    Thank you again for this post, Hosanna! It was so fun to read it! :)

    -Anika

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    1. Hey, Anika! I love your desire to witness. Feels like we're kindred spirits. ;)
      I would advice you to just start with praying! Pray that God would bring people into your life that you could share the Gospel with, and pray that He would use you for His purposes! And while you wait, I would also suggest preparing. Like Paul said, we need to be ready with our answer, and you never know when the opportunity might arise to give the answer! Sometimes, I write up conversations I might have with different people who don't believe. Maybe you could do the same thing, and read it aloud to a friend so you could practice your approach and your message.
      Praying for you!! =)
      -Ariel

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    2. I totally agree with you Ariel! Prayer is so important. I think we also have to think outside the box. But I totally know what you mean. I don't have too many good friends that aren't Christians. If you want to start witnessing right away I would suggest going to a park or your town with a few friends and handing out tracks, praying for people, and sharing the gospel. That would be so very cool!!! It is so scary though, isn't it?

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    3. Oh, Anika, I feel your heart there! I have been in the same place for years. I don't have unbelieving friends. (that I know of...some of the "believers" might not be on fire like they say they are, but that is a different topic) It is very easy to become doubtful that we will ever make a difference. But what Ariel shared is exactly what I would suggest...and what I am doing!

      Pray for opportunities! I recently took the time to really pray for a chance to bless someone...and that very week I was able to encourage two friends to be strong in their walk with God! I felt so excited, so full of joy to be making a difference in their lives. God will show you opportunities if you are asking!

      Secondly practice! I have done that recently by pretending to witness to my brother and sister. They played the devil's advocate by challenging me, and I was forced to reply and work on showing them the truth of the Gospel. It was fun and good practice. =)

      And, I know that this is long already, but one thing that I want to work on more is stepping out of my comfort zone and talking to people. There are hurting people in your Co-op and youth group, even if you can't see it on the outside. Even your Christian friends need encouragement. Be an eager friend and deliberately friendly to strangers. While this is very hard (I’m an introvert too!), it's also so worthwhile. =) I struggle with the same things that you shared…these are some small steps that I am working on, and I hope they encourage you as well. ♥ ♥

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    4. I just wanted to pop in and say that praying for opportunities to witness and bless people is such a good idea! It can be hard for those of us who aren't around many people who aren't Christians already, but if we ask Him for opportunities to share His with love with others, He will certainly present them to us in some way or another! ♥

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    5. Yes, praying is so good!!! Prayer is extremely powerful. :) I do think though that we should not just pray for people, but take action. Make opportunities happen. It's so easy (especially for me) to think that God is always going to bring the opportunity right to my doorstep, but sometimes we must be the one to step out and witness...do you girls have any thoughts on that?

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    6. I agree that prayer is something that we should all be doing! God uses our prayers to open doors. And even if we don't see changes because of our prayers, God is working in the lives of people around us...He might be convicting them through our prayers! And yes, we do have to take the initiative to step out, start conversations, and meet people. But you really have to make sure that you are doing it for the right reason. I can see it becoming legalistic so easily. Thinking, "I am going to witness to 5 people today!" might not be the best way to do it. We need to be going places and meeting people so that God can open opportunities. However, we can not do it in our own strength. (I don't think you were meaning that, but it is very important to remember) =)

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    7. I just wanted to say, Ariel and Hosanna, you both mentioned a sort of "practising" witnessing. I have never done this before, or even thought to do it intentionally. But it's a great idea! -both the writing out potential conversations and the practising with brothers and sisters!

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    8. I agree! We must take action. I personally think that the "I might not be doing it from the right motive" is an easy excuse to not witness. I think God has commanded us to witness and we should have good motives, but I don't think motives should ever keep us from not witnessing. But I do agree...saying you're going to witness to 5 people is probably not the best way to do it. But I think having goals isn't bad either as long as it doesn't get to be a job and not a joy. I think once we understand how we're going to get treasure in heaven for witnessing and that it's a way to serve and love our King it won't be something where we're like "Oh boy, I need to witness this week so that I can meet my goal...or tell my friends" It should be a joy and privilege! But like I said above we should do it regardless if we're feeling like it or aren't sure if we're doing it for the right reasons. =) Do you have any thoughts?

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    9. This whole discussion post thing is so fun! =)
      @ Hannah= I would say that 'not feeling like it' is one of the easiest lies to fall for...not only in witnessing, but in all areas of our spiritual life! We've all got to be really careful not to fall into that rut.
      Hey, do you girls have any thoughts on how to increase our prayer life for the lost?
      -Ariel

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    10. Oh, yes that is so right! I mentioned this in my blog post, but I think when we start making excuses for not witnessing something's wrong with out heart. There is no good excuse not to witness. ;)

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    11. I agree partially, Hannah. Yes, it's true that we should be witnessing, and making up excuses like "I might have not have the right motives" is wrong. However, you truly can have the wrong motives. For instance, if I want to go witnessing because I "have to" or because I want to show off how many people I've talked to, then it would be wrong. Sure, God might still use my words to lift others up. But if our hearts are not in the right place, I think we shouldn't be forcing ourselves to go through the motions. We need to share the Gospel because of love - our love for Jesus and our love for others. If we do it for any other reason (status, etc.), then it is probably easy for the unbeliever to see that you don't truly care for them. Thus, they will most likely reject the message. And sometimes, that means that you turned them off...which would be wrong on your part.

      What I am meaning to say is that yes, we can't make up excuses. However, if I find myself going through the motions of witnessing with the wrong attitude, then I should probably stop, fix my attitude, and apologize to whoever I was speaking to. Unbelievers need to know that we are talking to them because we care about them...not because it's our "religion." Does that make sense to you?

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    12. Ariel, what a good question. =) I'm not exactly sure how we can improve our prayer life. There are practical ways - setting an alarm to pray every half hour, using a certain object to remind you to pray, etc. However, I think you just need to realize how important it is to have a heart for the lost. If you truly love them and care for where they go after death, praying should come naturally. I haven't mastered that myself, but those are some thoughts. =)

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    13. Yes, I definitely agree! We can have the wrong motives, but that shouldn't stop us from witnessing. We should repent of them and then keep witnessing the right way. ;) And yes, unbelievers truly should know, if we have the right heart, that we want them to go to heaven and we aren't just "doing what we should". Definitely true!

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    14. Hosanna, I like that you included a word about apologizing to the person we were speaking to when we realize that we were witnessing to them with status or as our motive (or anything other than loving obedience). It takes humility! It demonstrates that we're human, we make mistakes and we (hopefully) acknowledge them. After all, we're not the ones who are perfect; it's our God who is.

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    15. Yes...I think apologizing shows that we are human and make mistakes. It shows unbelievers that Christians aren't perfect nor do we consider ourselves perfect.

      I know that this discussion has been silent for several days, but I had one last question for you. ;) If we feel God calling us to witness to someone and don't do it but then God gives us another chance and we take it, should we then confess to that person that we were called to do it at an earlier time and disobeyed His voice? Or would we then just start over with a clean slate, asking God's forgiveness? Just wondering what your thoughts are on that. =) It seems like it might confuse a person if you started the conversation apologizing, but perhaps it would make them feel more open...

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    16. Hmmm, that's a really interesting question, Hosanna! I'm not sure if there's a right and a wrong, or a good and a best... I think that if we started by apologizing, it might be an opening to a conversation when we might otherwise not know where or how to start? I'm interested in knowing what others have to say!!

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    17. Huh...never thought about that before...
      Honestly, I would say that it would probably be something between God and I. It would be a good conversation opener, I agree, but I don't think it is completely necessary to start out apologizing to the person you are beginning to witness to. =)
      -Ariel

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  5. I'm kind of late to the conversation, but I just wanted to say reading through the comments has blessed and encouraged me so much! Especially the thoughts on praying for the lost and having practice spiritual discussions, as well as everyone's enthusiasm for sharing the good news! And your story at the beginning, Hosanna - that made the Bible story come alive and seem so relevant for our day. Thanks for initiating all this! :)

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    1. Oh, thank you, Jessica! ♥ I'm glad that you have been encouraged by reading these comments. I have been surprised at how many of us have witnessing on our hearts...but we just don't know where to start or we have doubts, fears, and excuses. =) It's been very encouraging for me to have these discussions as well. =)

      Lol...I have known this Bible story for so long, but only now did I realize that viewpoint of it! I suppose it's because the Bible is "living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword." =) Isn't it wonderful how we can discover new truths in the most familiar of chapters?!

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  6. Hi Hosanna,
    Thank you for having these discussion posts. I find it interesting to read the other comments.
    Witnessing is a little hard for me. A few years ago, I played volleyball at the YMCA. Since I was on a few different teams, I witnessed to quite a few girls, and almost all of them were Catholic. Anyway, it was easy to witness to them in that setting.
    I really need to hand out more tracks when I'm out and about. Could you please pray for me to do better at that?

    Love in Christ,
    Ashley

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    1. You're very welcome, Ashley. =) I have enjoyed this discussion too; thanks for chiming in! I do know how it can be easy to witness in one scenario and difficult in another. *sigh* But handing out Gospel tracks is a wonderful way to start! (especially if you find some unique and interesting tracks) ;) It's definitely less scary...but you also will probably never know how many people who were changed until you get to heaven. I need to be more faithful at bringing tracks with me as well. I'll be praying for you! =)

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