Are You Either One of These Extremes?
Each month Christianity Today magazine features the story of how God captured someone’s heart. I was blessed to have my story featured in the April 2023 edition. In case you missed it, you can read it here: I Was the Mole in a Family of Mallets - Christianity Today.
What makes the CT testimony stories so fascinating is the huge variety of the subjects’ backgrounds and the amazingly creative ways God used to reach them. Here is just a smattering of some recent profiles:
A gang leader who, while in solitary confinement saw what he described as a “movie” on his cell wall in which Jesus told him from the cross, “Darwin, I’m doing this for you.”
A former stock trader who couldn’t ignore the contrast between his “Bible thumper” wife’s joy and his own hollowness as he pursued career success and money. Late one night in a solitary London hotel room, he was overwhelmed by God’s deep love and also his need to repent and commit his life to Jesus.
A Neo-Nazi skinhead who – bizarrely – was invited to play drums on a church’s worship team. Through the loving relationships he formed there, he eventually came to know Jesus.
A top Hollywood vocal coach who began her life of faith after attending a Bible course for nonbelievers at a Santa Monica church.
A violent, radical Muslim born to one of Sudan’s leading political families that was responsible for establishing sharia law in the country. He converted to Christianity after witnessing the miraculous healing of a relative who had been prayed over by Coptic Christians.
Other stories include those of a national TV personality, a polio survivor, a former member of the Israeli Defense Forces, a New Age psychic, a woman who transitioned to become a man and then back again, and a former adult movie actor and producer.
Two things strike me about these stories:
God touches the hearts of people from any and every background, regardless of how successful or desperate they may be.
He shows incredible variety in reaching people.
Recall that this article is called, “Are You Either One of These Extremes?” You may be wondering what that title has to do with these testimonies. Well, it doesn’t directly, but it does refer to our attitude toward how we approach telling other people about God’s love.
Some who read dramatic testimonies like this say, “These stories show that God chases down those people he’s really after. If it’s God’s will, they will respond.” And then they do very little to try to reach out to others.
At the opposite extreme are people who want so much for their friends and loved ones to come to faith that they act like it is totally up to them. And they feel they have failed if the other person doesn’t respond right away. To them, I say, “Relax. Remember that some of these testimony stories span years. So you’re not at the endpoint yet.”
Although these people’s motivation and passion are commendable, you can’t “make” anyone become a Christian. That’s entirely a work of the Holy Spirit. Since he typically uses people to communicate the message, you need to do your part to lovingly explain the gospel while recognizing it’s up to God to touch the person’s hearts.
The happy middle ground is this: Remember that someone only comes to faith when God fully reveals himself to them but also that you have the privilege – and the responsibility – to be God’s messenger. I can tell you from personal experience that being used by God to bring someone into his kingdom is one of the greatest joys in life!
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How do you react when you read dramatic stories of how someone became a Christian? Do you rejoice with the angels in heaven (Luke 15:10) or do you get slightly jealous since some of your friends haven’t responded yet?
Are you at either extreme, either minimizing your role in helping bring others into the faith or acting like it’s all up to you? If so, what is the best way to move toward the happy medium?
“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” - Mark 16:15 - NLT