..::*+ Small Talk +*::..
I am soooooooooooo almost at the end of the book. What should I read after this? Definitely not “Swimming for Dummies”!!
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Day37: Sharing your life message
Ever since we become a Christian, we are God’s messenger. We speak what God wants to tell others.
On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.
2 Corinthians 2:17b
We will say to ourselves: What do we have to share? In the end we share nothing. But that is because the Devil is keeping you silent. You have plenty of experiences with God, it’s only about you yourself to realize them or not. Reading the 5th purpose of life and Helen came to you and telling you how important it is for us to let others know about the Good News – Do you really think coincidence like this always happens? God is teaching me. He is, I’m sure of that.
Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.
1 John 5:10a
And this testimony is the testimony of us having a great God. Our Life Message has 4 parts to it:
1. Your testimony: your story of how you began a relationship with Jesus.
2. You life lessons: the most important lessons God has taught you.
3. You godly passion: the issues God shaped you to care about most.
4. The Good News: the message of salvation.
Let’s go more details about them, shall we?
Your Life Message includes your testimony. Testimony here simply means the story of how Christ has made difference in our lives. In Bible Peter tells us this:
… to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you.
1 Peter 2:9 The Message
We just simply need to share our personal experiences regarding the Lord. We know that in a court room, the witness isn’t expected to argue the case, prove the truth, or press for a verdict… those are jobs of attorneys. Witnesses just need to tell what happened to them or what they saw. And remember Jesus said that:
…; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
We just need to share our stories. Sharing stories is very useful in spreading the Gospel:
Sharing your testimony is an essential part of your mission on earth because it is unique.
Rick Warren – The Purpose Driven Life
Every one of us will never have an exactly same experience with God. Therefore, if we just to keep it quiet, it will be gone forever. Besides, sharing personal testimony is more effective than a sermon, because when unbelievers listen to sermon, they can only think that “a sermon is just the rules of Christians”, but they will see testimony as “an experience of a Christian”. Personal stories can attract people. Unbelievers will probably turn away when all you can tell them is just quotes from Bible; they have the curiosity about the experience that they never had. Sharing testimony is like building a bridge for Jesus to walk from your heart to unbelievers. People prefers humble and personal story than an authority of the Bible. The only thing is to talk with gentleness and respect:
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
1 Peter 3:15
We have tons of testimonies other than the salvation. Different situations call for different testimonies.
Your Life Message includes your life lessons. We all are not perfect and one of our purposes on earth is to grow like Christ. This is a long process and God shapes us in various ways. But often God teaches us through lessons. There are lessons and insights you have learned about God, relationships, problems, temptations and other aspects of life. David prayed:
Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees;
and I will keep them to the end.
Psalm 119:33
Sadly is that we seldom learn from our lessons. Although God loves unconditionally, still, we do not listen to Him. Repetitions of old ways, falling again into same temptations, being disobedience… We must learn from our lessons. So Qi Hao, please don’t do it again, ok?
While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others.
Rick Warren – The Purpose Driven Life
A thought that I came across before is that people don’t appreciate what we have. I ever asked my mentor, if Thomas Edison found out how to make a light bulb lights after 1000 ways NOT to make a bulb lights, and today we only know A WAY to make a bulb lights, and we do not know the 1000 ways not to make a bulb lights. Get my point here? He succeeded after 1000 try-and-error attempts. We should also learn from his lessons (the 1000 ways NOT to make a bulb lights) too, no?
Besides, if Solomon did not write down what he had learned in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, how we would know the practical lessons on living? Writing down what you have learned. This is also what my mentor is teaching me =)
Your Life Message includes sharing your godly passion. As we grow closer to Him, God will give you a passion for something He cares about so deeply, that you can be His messenger in the world. The passion could be anything, and you can’t keep yourself away from it:
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in,
indeed, I cannot.
Jeremiah 20:9
Sense the passion here? God gives some people the passion to champion a cause. He uses passionate people to further his kingdom through, for example, founding church. God gives different people different passions.
You should not expect everyone else to be passionate about your passion.
Rick Warren – The Purpose Driven Life
Instead, we must listen to and treasure each other’s life message. Everyone has their own passions that God has given them. Therefore, share with each other your passions.
Your Life Message includes the Good News. This is the “news” informing that through God’s grace we are saved through all the things that Jesus did for us, and our sins are forgiven, we get a purpose-driven life and a promised future home in heaven. In Bible it says:
[God] does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.
2 Peter 3:9 New Century Version
Be part of the job to bring back God’s children. What are you doing to bring more people to the heaven? What are you doing to share the wonderful happiness (lottery, as told by Pastor Steffen) with other people? Don’t miss the chance that God gives you.
The eternal salvation of a single soul is more important than anything else you will ever achieve in life. Only people are going to last forever.
Rick Warren – The Purpose Driven Life
Think about it.
Vincent
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