March 2

Written by Bill Grandi on March 2nd, 2021

When I was just starting out in my faith journey, I was pretty impressionable and was often told I needed to tell someone else about Jesus. You know…the whole share-your-faith thing. I understood that. Someone cared enough about me to tell me about Jesus, I ought to care enough about someone to tell them about Jesus.  But I got to feeling like I was head-hunting at times. You know, get as many as you can as quickly as you can.

But I soon realized that I was devaluing people. I kept getting this ugly feeling that something wasn’t right. Then someone finally put it into words. I’m not sure if I heard or read it: “People don’t want to feel like notches on a belt.” My words: People don’t want to feel like scalps hung on a line. “Yep, another one. And another. And…”

People don’t want to feel like scalps or notches on a belt; they want to feel important. Like they matter. To approach someone for the sole purpose of getting the gospel to them doesn’t take into count that they are humans with feelings.

It goes back to motives. Take a look at Jesus. When He healed someone or fed someone, that’s what He was doing-healing and feeding.  He wasn’t conniving. He wasn’t saying, “If I do this or that they will do this.”  He knew they needed Him but He met their need. He loved them with no strings attached.

Long story short: Let’s love people for who they are. Let’s not see them as notches or scalps or ever as projects to be reclaimed, lives to be flipped. Let’s share Jesus with people simply for the sake of loving people and introducing them to our best Friend.

“Father, when I meet people today, when I see them and strike up a conversation with them, help me to see them as Jesus did.”

 

6 Comments so far ↓

  1. Amen, Bill! Great sermon on Sunday, by the way. 🙂

  2. Ryan S. says:

    I have never been really found myself approaching people blindly with the intent of “converting” them. Likely because it never worked on me. It took a relationship and circumstances to bring me around. I have also seen “quick conversion” be empty and in the moment and one may even question the sincerity and authenticity if not careful. People should be able to see Jesus in me and as a result, ask to be introduced. If not, then I need to question if I am actually representing Jesus.

    • Bill Grandi says:

      You hit the nail on the head Ryan with what is ultimately wrong with the “belt” approach. It takes a relationship and the quickie conversion doesn’t seem to stick much.

  3. He loved them with no strings attached.’
    From everything I heard and read this was the truth that drew me to Him and has kept me walking with Him. And the face He never cut the string, that scarlett cord. Good stuff Bill.

    • Bill Grandi says:

      No strings attached is so important isn’t it? Thanks for coming by my Shadow blog Betty. And for the record: I’m glad He never cut that cord.