Whomever and Wherever

11/16/14                                     Jerrod and Nicholas                Early 20's

What can we do when we reach out to share the Gospel only to find out the other person is already a Christian?  I have had people trying to share the Gospel with me only to find out I am already a believer and then they refuse to give me the time of day.  In their mind, further conversation with me would have only been a needless distraction and taken away from the time they could spend talking with unbelievers.  I disagee.  I believe every person I talk to has a new step of faith to take, believer or not, and if we are willing to take the time to talk we can find out where they are at with God and how we might encourage that next faith step.  Jerrod and Nicholas, two solid young believers I talked to while pumping gas at a gas station, hesitated when I asked if they share their faith much.  “Well, nowhere near as much as I should” said Nicholas, so I went on.  “Well this is one reason I share mine because anyone I talk to on the streets has some way in which I can encourage them in their faith. For guys like you, what better way can I challenge you to share your faith more than when I’m in the middle of reaching out to share the Gospel myself?”  No matter who I meet – atheist, agnostic, lukewarm believer or passionate follower of Jesus – there is some way in which I can challenge or encourage them toward greater faith and obedience to God, and there is usually something I can learn from the conversation myself.  Our faith is strongest when we are on mission, and we can carry out that mission wherever we are at and whomever we may talk to, even if it is a fellow believer at a gas station.