Recently I was blessed to join a group of individuals that had a heart to reach out to the inhabitants of Cairo, Illinois. This town on the southern tip of the state is a fraction of the size it once was, and is plagued by poverty, crime, and despair.
I was anxious to be part of the evangelism team. Speaking to others about Christ is my passion, especially in a street ministry setting. The analogy I use is that the army of God needs boots on the ground, and I enjoy the march.
As my friends and I drove through the overpass into Cairo, a darkness seemed to engulf us. I don’t think they noticed, or at least they didn’t mention it. It was the darkness of spiritual oppression, even in the light of day. We were all joyous about the possibility of new converts and changed lives, yet I clearly recognized the spiritual stronghold on this community.
We were sent out two-by-two, just as Jesus illustrated with the disciples. We were given a small tract called “Your Life (A New Beginning),” which could be used as a conversation starter. We were to inform the individual that this little booklet had valuable information on obtaining a good life, then ask them how their life was going.
On the first day I felt some trepidation about this task. I would vacillate between complete trust in the Spirit’s leadership, followed by strict attention to the tract. Although I knew the tract was simply a tool, I found myself concerned about whether I’d covered all the bases. I became more focused on my presentation than on the individual’s reaction or response.
A “cold call” is never an easy form of interaction, especially in witnessing. Having just a few minutes at the door, our purpose is to offer the A-B-C’s of salvation, and hope for follow-up and for growth to come later. Nevertheless, we sometimes fall into “Christianese” while conveying the message. This often results in more confusion than clarification. And on that first day in Cairo, I found myself far too focused on checking the talking points in the tract.
As a group we had prayed numerous times, but in this wavering between trust in him and desire to complete the presentation, I knew the Lord was beckoning me to a new place of reliance on him.
I can honestly say I love to talk and I love people. I’ve often said my spiritual gift is beneath my nose and my spiritual calling is to “love people into the kingdom.” So the question is: what do I love to talk about? Answer: people coming to a real relationship with Christ.
For me, having a “gospel conversation” is a natural process, as natural as any other conversation, if the subject matter is about something or someone you love. The word of God reminds us that we are equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17), and we are always to be ready to give an answer to everyone for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15).
If we have been mandated to “go and tell” as the Great Commission emphasizes, are we to conclude that God would purposely make fulfillment of that call difficult? I believe not. His word cites in Deuteronomy 30:14 and Romans 10:8 that the word is very near us; it’s in our mouths, which means all we have to do is open our mouth. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and allow him to speak his truth through us as yielded vessels.
There in Cairo I asked the Lord to allow me to be natural, sensitive, and intentional, using the gift that he had given me, the gift of sharing, whether it be a through a booklet, a testimony, or conversation about the commonalities in our lives.
The next two days were significantly better because I released the idea that I had some sense of responsibility for the outcome of a person’s decision. With each day, I felt more liberated to have natural conversations. At one house, an individual of the Black Hebrew Israelite religion informed my partner and me that we made a good team. This was strictly due to how we presented the message in a natural, non-threatening manner. The man was willing to listen because we didn’t so much “present” the gospel; we simply talked about the Savior.
Jacqueline Scott is a member of Dorrisville Baptist Church in Harrisburg. She also serves on the IBSA Board of Directors.