It’s funny how even as pastors we, at times, get schooled. We are never above learning lessons, sometimes deep and profound ones, from those around us, and often times it is from by those closest to us, our friends and family.
Well, that’s exactly what happened to me several months ago.
I was in the upper part of the state to visit my sons for a couple days with my wife and while there we always try to take the time to see other family and friends.
I got up with a friend of mine a couple days before we went up to see if we could get together for breakfast or lunch and catch up a little bit.
I was introduced to him several years ago by my pastor. My pastor told me one day, “Rob, I got this dude I want you to meet, he has a background just like yours almost. If anybody understands what you’re going through, it’s this guy.”
Sonny is a retired sheriff’s deputy and also did contract work for the military in some far-away places. I guess many guys might say that Sonny is a “Man’s Man”. Rough and tumble and filled with excitement and adventure.
But Sonny is also a man who about six years ago, came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and In Sonny’s own words, “God came in and destroyed the man I was and saved me.”
Now Sonny and I have a lot of things in common. I have 28 years of public safety work experience; Paramedic/Firefighter, Sheriff’s deputy.
At that time, I was really having some struggles. Close to retirement, I was having nightmares of being killed in the line of duty and honestly, the stress was just becoming overwhelming. It was a God thing. We talked about our lives and where we had been and I finally felt like “Here’s a guy who knows exactly what I’m feeling.”
So, now fast forward several years, here I am waiting at this little “Small town” kind restaurant for Sonny to show up for breakfast (No, he wasn’t late, I am just always 15-20 minutes early).
I saw Sonny as he walked into the restaurant and I noticed that he had something in his hand. He got up to table and sat down and placed a couple Gospel tracts down.
Now I watched Sonny throughout breakfast. I noticed at least two or three times that as someone would walk by, he would hand them one and tell them to have a good day. Even as we were leaving, he handed out at least two more and set a couple more down in conspicuous places.
Sonny was intentional with his faith. What a testimony that left for me.
See, I too, carry around tracts all the time being a Christian and a pastor, I just have always had a couple around no matter where I was.
A couple weeks after my meeting with Sonny, the Lord brought me back to that morning, a place of remembrance and He also brought with Him a conviction of my own failure to be intentional in the sharing of my faith, in the sharing of the greatest news one could ever give to anyone, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I did a little test the next day. While running errands, I took a handful of tracts with me. I found that as soon as I was distracted, the tracts went into my pocket and never came out again until I was back in my truck. I had failed to be “Intentional” with the thing that is most precious to me, my faith in Christ.
Well, a day or two later, I had to run errands again in the exact same places and I again grabbed a handful of tracts as I got out of my truck. This time I did not put them in my pocket, I kept them in my hand as a constant reminder to be “Intentional”. And it happened. I started being “Intentional”. I was handing tracts to people and inviting them to church, telling people that they need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Last night while out to eat, I forgot them in the van, but before we left, I ran out and grabbed some so that I could be “Intentional” with the restaurant staff and whoever else the Lord put in my way.
The New Testament is filled with examples of Christians being “Intentional” in the sharing of Jesus with people, especially in the book of Acts. Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, Peter and John and the lame beggar and many others. In fact, Acts Chapter 16 is just a beautiful picture of “Intentional” Christianity.
Now here’s my point. Why, if we who have been given the greatest gift that mankind will ever know, salvation in Jesus Christ, are we not more “Intentional” with the sharing of the gospel to everyone who we come in contact. We have the Word’s of life right here in our hearts and hands and yet, we stay quiet.
Why?
We need to start having an “Intentional” approach to our faith as Christians.
We are called to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28: 19-20) and we cannot do that if we are failing to be “Intentional” Christians.
So, here I am as a Christian and pastor challenging all who read this, be an “Intentional” Christian from here on out. Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those whom you come in contact with on a daily basis. We only live this life once and there are no do-overs, re-sets, or second chances, live in an intentional and purposeful way as you carry out the Kingdom work we are called to here and now in the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
