Your Freedom to Share Christ

There is a saying we’d rather not hear. “You don’t realize how important something is until you no longer have it.” Too often we hear it when we lose a loved one or when something severs a friendship. Sometimes it’s our health. Why don’t we appreciate good health until we lose it? On my recent trip to India I was reminded of some important things I often take for granted. Clean, safe water is an example. We expect the tap water we drink and use to bathe and wash our clothes is clean. Here’s the pond at Love Children Home Orphanage from which they normally get the water to bathe and wash their clothes. Due to heavy rains, it’s worse than usual, so they’ve been purchasing water for their basic needs. Another thing Americans take for granted is the freedom to share Christ with others. India has a strict policy against foreigners trying to convert Indians to the Christian faith. Indian nationals are legally free to share their faith but I could not. This made me think about whether I really value this freedom. Before the trip I would have told you without hesitation the freedom to share my faith is very important to me. No Christian would willingly give up this right. Yet, since we have it, what do we do with it? As a pastor I speak of my faith to those in church, but I don’t use this freedom very often other than that. Why don’t I use it more? [inlinetweet prefix="" tweeter="" suffix="@wardcushman"]The true value in having the freedom to share our faith is not in possessing that freedom but in using it.[/inlinetweet] I have a beautiful Buck Akonua hunting knife. From the moment I received it as a gift I didn’t want to get it dirty by taking it hunting. So for thirty years I’ve kept it in a box. From time to time I come upon it when looking for something else. I look at it and admire it and then put it away again. I treat it like a collectible. I am afraid many of us, myself included, treat our freedom to talk about and share Christ faith as a collectible. We like it and don’t want to give it up, but we don’t use it either. Here are three suggestions for how to take this freedom off the shelf.

3 Ways to Demonstrate we Value our Freedom to Share Christ

1. Pray for those in your life who need Jesus. After all, God is the one who is going to save them. He’ll be glad to hear you care about them, too. 1 Timothy 2:1-6
2. Invite people to church or a Bible study or other church event. Often the first step toward God is just going to church. Besides, people like to be invited places, even church!
3. Look for opportunities to talk about spiritual things. Don’t force it. If your faith is a real part of your life, then talk about it like it is. It can be as simple as telling a friend you will pray for her.

We all have to be intentional about this. Decide you’re going to do something with this precious freedom we have and do it. Acts 1:8 What has God taught you about how you share Christ that can encourage others? Please share an idea or comment or question below.