PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• My lifelong BFF texted me after I went to bed last night and I saw her note this morning. She watched “An Affair to Remember” last night for the first time. She knows I love this movie and was eager to tell me (Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr… swoon!!!).
It’s not that I’m not delighted that she saw it—after all, it’s a classic! And one of my all-time favorites! But I’m scratching my head on this because we’ve been friends since the 8th grade. How, in our 32-ish years of friendship, have I never shared this movie with her???
We go about our lives and tend to compartmentalize our relationships. Those are our church friends. Our school friends. Our work friends. Our couple friends. Our parenting friends. Our Facebook friends (which are usually a hodgepodge but not always inclusive of people you actually know).
I have no data or expertise on which to base this assumption, but I think we also compartmentalize the conversations we have based on the group we’re talking to. For instance, we talk about God with our church friends, school with our school friends, work with our work friends, etc., etc. Then we get to Facebook and there—we hide behind screens and try to present the very best version of ourselves for the world to see.
And clearly, I’ve done it to my BFF who I talk to about everything! I’ve long-been an old Hollywood movie junkie. “Gone With the Wind” (GWTW) is my all-time favorite, but give me some Cary Grant, Clark Gable, and Jimmy Stewart classics anytime. And since I bore most people to tears when I get off on this topic, I’ve learned to reserve these conversations for my mom and GWTW circle of friends (all of whom generally love the Hollywood classics too).
But in my compartmentalizing, I’ve robbed my BFF of the joy of this movie as well as three decades worth of opportunities to swoon with me over Cary and Deborah’s “An Affair to Remember.”
In all seriousness though, while we may have legitimate reasons to compartmentalize certain topics, there is one topic that is universally applicable—the story of Jesus! He didn’t die for just our church friends! He died for our school friends, work friends, Facebook friends, and everyone in between. It’s our responsibility to tell them!
2 Corinthians 5:20 refers to Christians as “ambassadors for Christ,” and in 1 Peter 2:9, it says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV). And while we may not all be of Jewish descent, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, Romans 11:17 says we have been grafted into the branch of God’s chosen people… And Ephesians 1:5 says we have been adopted into God’s family through Jesus Christ.
But let’s go back to 1 Peter 2:9… We are “…a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” We are to proclaim the love of Jesus because of what He did for us! We aren’t told to limit our conversations to a select group, but to proclaim it! It’s part of the Great Commission that Jesus gave to all who choose to be His disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
And it’s important to note that the loudest way we can proclaim the Good News of Jesus isn’t always with our mouth. Our actions send a very loud and powerful message.
In one of my worst nightmares, I envision being at the Great White Throne judgment, and watching someone I know being condemned to hell… and then, after their verdict is read, having them look at me and say, “Why didn’t you tell me?” That terrifies me. And it should terrify every person who has accepted the undeserved grace and mercy of God.
I don’t want anyone I know to accuse me of not telling them. We are so worried about offending people. But the Fruit of the Spirit—when we live by them and freely share them with others, “against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). We can tell others about Jesus by not being afraid or hesitant to offer prayers… to pray before our meals… to talk about church and Bible studies… and live a life that is reflective of the Holy Spirit’s goodness within you.
Today, as you pray, thank God for making a way for us to be a part of His family. Ask the Holy Spirit to use you to reach others and to equip you with the words to say. Ask Him to fill you with a longing to reach others and give you a heart of compassion for those who need Jesus. And please, join me in praying for the much-needed revival our world needs.
