“Inviting Others into God’s Goodness”

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”*

     Al and I recently signed up for a half day workshop on evangelism called “Inviting People into God’s Goodness.” About seventy other people representing several churches throughout the community attended. It was a great turnout for a topic that causes varied responses among Christians and non-Christians alike.

     But the speaker, a seminary professor, presented evangelism as sharing the goodness of God with those around us, whether it is at work or where ever we might be. How has God been good to me? By sending Christ to live, die and live again...for me! The immensity of His love fills my life with meaning and purpose. It isn’t hard seeing His hand in my life, past and present. I know He will be with me in the future and that I will be with Him forever. Blessing after blessing, joy upon joy!

     After the workshop that day, I came home encouraged and excited about new ways of inviting others to share in God’s goodness. While I was still thinking about the events of the morning, there was a big uproar, with both dogs barking and jumping at the back door. I let them go outside; but when the commotion increased in intensity I grabbed my jacket and went out to see what was bothering them.

     On the other side of the barbed wire fence that separates our house from the cemetery next door, a man was kneeling down on the ground. It was a very cold day, too cold to be outside. The dogs calmed down and I walked over to the fence, not knowing if I should disturb him.

     “I hope our dogs didn’t startle you,” I said apologetically.

     “Not at all,” he replied. He explained that he was trying to scrape the ice off the markers where his mother and father were buried. “Do you have any paper towels I could use?” he asked. I hurried inside and returned with paper towels and a plastic bag.

     He finished cleaning the markers and then stood up to talk. “Let me introduce you to your neighbors,” he said, pointing to each place and telling me the names of his parents. His dad had been a lieutenant in the Navy during WWII, stationed in Japan toward the end of the war. It was very similar to my father’s story. We talked for several minutes, he on one side of the fence and I on the other.

     “I’m glad my parents have such nice neighbors,” he said.

     I grinned, not knowing if he was being serious or just kidding! “Well, it is a beautiful place,” I said. “It reminds me of our former home in the country. And sometimes I wake up to ‘Amazing Grace’ being played on bagpipes! I love that!”

     Before going back indoors, I learned his name and invited him to stop by the house anytime.

     Sharing paper towels over a fence and talking to someone about his deceased parents surely doesn’t seem to fit into the definition of evangelism that we had learned in the morning. Or does it?

     Often it seems that God puts the people in our paths who need to hear the beginning of the gospel message about His great love for them and of His plan for their lives. At other times, it might be the part of the message that tells of man’s tendency to sin and because of that, his separation from God, who is Holy. Or the message that Jesus died for their sins and that salvation and eternal life are given through faith in Him. Maybe they just need to be invited!

     God will use us just as we are. My father used to say that he could never get up in front of a crowd and speak to people about Jesus. But after he surrendered his life to Christ, he became involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In time, dad became a keynote speaker for that organization, sharing what God had done in his life and in the lives of many young athletes.

     God used him, an ex-Marine, All American tackle, and coach to touch the hearts of many people. For me, it’s through writing my stories and connecting with the people I meet daily. What is it for you? How can you help others taste the goodness of God?

*Psalm 34:8 NIV