1 Peter 2:12
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
As Christians, we are called to shine our lights before our neighbors and the larger world. We are not called to insulate ourselves in a protective bubble with only Christian friends.
What if “church” people only spent time with “church” people? What if Christians only attended events that were specifically Christian events and never ventured into the “secular” world?
If we did that, the unreached would remain that — unreached. People in the church would not be shining lights, nor would they be stretched and challenged to love and serve those who are unbelieving, which is the primary way that we build bridges to share the gospel. We might be more comfortable, and our lives might be more predictable, but we wouldn’t be doing what Christ commanded us to do.
Recently, my sister took a group of friends to a workshop in Palm Beach. The workshop was a preview for a weekend course in personal development led by Klemmer & Associates (http://www.klemmer.com/), a group that helps people identify things in their life that are keeping them from becoming all that God made them to be. The founder of Klemmer and Associates, Brian Klemmer, was led to Christ by a mentor when all he was really looking for was business success. He got that, but in the process, became a passionate servant of Christ. Though he was open about his faith, he didn’t limit his reach to Christians. Because he didn’t, many people, including those who are really only interested in making more money, discovered Jesus, and embraced him as their Savior. This has happened over and over again, and Jenny has personally seen two friends come to faith in Christ. Like most things, people get out what they put in, and so while some put nothing in and get nothing out, many experience “Ah-ha” moments that lead them to genuine transformation in all areas of their lives — including their relationship with God.
Klemmer & Associates’ mission statement is:
“Our mission is to create bold, ethical leaders who will create a world that works for everyone with no one left out.”
Granted, Jesus’ name doesn’t appear in that statement, but it’s certainly consistent with the way that he calls us to live, to care about others, and to bring glory to him by being all that He made us to be. The Personal Mastery weekend (http://www.klemmer.com/personal-mastery) that my husband and I attended was instrumental in improving my relationship with my husband. In addition, the tools I gained gave me courage to face my fear about quitting smoking, to shift into a healthier lifestyle, and to release over 30 pounds of excess weight. It was also instrumental in motivating my husband to begin working toward his contractor’s license, which he received last year.
Some who attended the recent workshop were “thrown off” by the workshop, and others questioned the wisdom of attending something “non-Christian”. While some didn’t care for the event, others were genuinely challenged by what they heard, and made moves toward deeper dependency on God in their everyday lives.
The label put on something is not what matters. What matters is that lives are being changed and people are being challenged to grow, to look at their character, to find purpose in life, and to lead others to do the same.
When we as Christians show up with our Savior, then the place is filled with Jesus.
We get to choose how our faith factors into every area of our lives. I am challenged to get out more into the world and be a visible representation of Jesus to those who may not know Him personally. This requires me to delve into relationships with non-believers, which requires me to put myself in places where non-believers are.
My God is BIG and POWERFUL.
He uses all kinds of things to move people closer to Himself, into awareness of their need for redemption.
He can work in all things, and His Spirit is at work wherever people are looking for answers, even if He’s not the answer they’re looking for.
Remember, He calls us to live IN this world and not to be OF this world, but being IN the world requires that we not be afraid OF the world.