Author Archives: bethanyswester

Working Girl

Posted on May 17, 2013 | 1 Comment

Steve Carell starred in a sit-com about it. Dolly Parton sang about it. Scott Adams gets laughs from it in his Dilbert comic strip. It’s more a rite of passage into adulthood for the millennial generation than marriage and parenthood. It’s work – your job, your gig, your profession, your occupation, your trade. For those of us who find ourselves in the unmarried category, paid employment is inescapably necessary (a girl’s gotta eat), and because of the fall, “it’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it,” as Dolly put it.

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You may have your dream job. Praise the Lord! On the other hand, you may feel like every workday is a page out of Dante’s Inferno. You could be in your first “grown-up” job, and it’s nothing like what you expected or wanted. You may have sent out your résumé countless times, gone on numerous interviews, and would take any offer that comes your way just to have a steady paycheck. Maybe you’re somewhere in the middle, with no reason to complain about your current position but not exactly loving it, either.

Wherever you find yourself in your career, here are a few thoughts on making the most of it.

  • If you have a job, be thankful for it, even if it isn’t the greatest job ever. It’s a privilege to be able to work, as many of our nation’s unemployed can tell us.
  • Do your job for God’s glory by respecting your supervisors and colleagues, doing your work well and with integrity and exercising your creativity for the welfare of your employer and your community.
  • Don’t view secular work as secular. For the Christian, any legitimate vocation fulfills God’s mandate to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” and can bring him glory. I’ve often struggled with this, seeing my “secular” wage-earning work as somehow inferior to vocational ministry.
  • Be a good steward of your current situation, even while humbly asking God to change your circumstances, knowing that he has you where you are in this season for a purpose.
  • Find your fulfillment in Christ, not in your job, no matter how wonderful or grueling it is.

For a great read on Christians and their work, check out “Making the Most of Christ from 8 to 5” in John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life, and have a happy Friday!

 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. – Colossians 3.23-24 ‘

Bethany Wester

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The Fruit of the Spirit is: Love

Posted on May 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

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John Lennon and Paul McCartney once wrote, “All you need is love.” Our culture has a lot to say about love. We use the word rather loosely in ad campaigns and song lyrics, in reference to desserts as well as spouses, from I ♥ NY tee shirts to  ♥☺ bumper stickers. The New Testament has a lot to say about love, too. In fact, agapē and its root word agapaō appear more than 150 times, mostly in the books by John and Paul (the apostles, not the Beatles).

So what is this love that Paul names first among the fruits of the Spirit? It is the distinguishing mark of a Christian. I’m not saying that lightly, either. Jesus uses this word when he defines the greatest commandments as loving God and loving our neighbors (Matt. 22.37-40), and he uses it again to explain that the world will know his followers by their love for one another (John 13.34-35). It is evidence of holiness. As we become increasingly characterized by love, we become more like Jesus, and only followers of Christ can know this love and act on it.

That’s a bold assertion, to say that unbelievers are incapable of experiencing and acting on love. Bold, yes, but biblical. Take a look at what Paul wrote leading up to the verses on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.19-22:

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love…

Love is a fruit of the Spirit, not the flesh. This is a supernatural, self-sacrificial love, more than mere affection, and without the Spirit we are incapable of knowing and expressing love as the Bible defines it.  

Love always has an object. The “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5 are all rooted in self-love, self-preservation, self-gratification, because left in our sinful nature, we are selfish, and even our “good” deeds are tainted. This is why Paul repeatedly reminded and encouraged his readers to love one another, because we are so prone to seek our own comforts and protection rather than loving God and our neighbors.

But consider a few of the numerous ways the Bible refers to love.

Love the Lord your God…

Love your neighbor as yourself.

For God so loved the world…

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Love…does not seek its own…

True love – biblical love – is rooted in God’s love, and its objects are God and others. Jesus asked the Father that his followers would “see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world…. that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17.24b, 26b). This is the love the Spirit pours out in us – the love God the Father has for God the Son and the Son for the Father. We are given access to this eternal, pure, steadfast love, the love God demonstrated to us through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection (Rom. 5.8). The ESV Study Bible notes that love comes first in the list of the fruits of the Spirit because “it most clearly reflects the character of God.” Only God the Holy Spirit can produce genuine, self-denying love because God is love and he loved us first (1 John 4.8, 19).

In God’s grace, I still battle my selfish nature, and I daily have to confess unloving attitudes, words, and actions. As the Spirit produces fruit in us, though, he strengthens us to deny these selfish tendencies and directs our wills to choose love. Love unites the church (Col. 3.14b). It supersedes all other spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 13.1-3, 13). It compels us to fulfill the Great Commission (2 Cor. 5.14). It banishes fear because we now find security in Christ (1 John 4.18). In this first fruit of the Spirit, we demonstrate a love that is categorically different from any other definition of love outside of Christ, and “they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Heavenly Father, we praise you as the only true, pure, and eternal source of love. Thank you for sharing your love with us. Fill us with your Spirit that the world may see your love for us and through us. May we always keep you as our first love. Amen 

Bethany Wester

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A Friend to Unbelievers

Posted on March 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

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Have you heard of the Christian bubble? A Christian finds herself in the Christian bubble when she spends all of her time with other Christians. It’s a comfortable place. She loves the joy of fellowship, engaging all of her social interactions with like-minded people. Slipping into the bubble is easy. We have abundant opportunities to develop relationships with other believers through Bible studies, ministries, church functions, and many times at work and in our families. These relationships are good gifts from our Father for our sanctification and encouragement, and our love for one another is a testimony to unbelievers of God’s grace and greatness (John 13.34-35).

Jesus had intimate fellowship with his disciples. He found rest and friendship with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. No doubt, these times were precious and refreshing to him, but he also intentionally spent significant time with “sinners,” such as tax collectors (known to be embezzlers) and prostitutes. He met with Nicodemus “after hours” for deep conversation (John 3.1-21). He went to their homes (Luke 19.1-10). He ate meals with them, so much so that the religious elite accused him of being a drunkard and a glutton (Luke 7.34). He engaged with them, and they were drawn to him (Luke 15.1-2). We can see from these examples that the Christian bubble is not like Christ, and if it isn’t like Christ, then it isn’t “Christian.” Bubble. Popped.

I will confess that I am not good at being friends with unbelievers, and in writing this post I have been convicted of how much I am currently surrounding myself with all things Christian and shying away from interacting on a deep level with anyone outside the faith. I interact with unbelievers at work, running errands, and even in ministry, but I can’t say that I am truly friends with any of them. I live most of my life in the bubble.

We should learn from our Savior and be deliberate in pursuing friendship with people who are living apart from God. We have to meet them where they are and be a friend they want to be around. How do we apply Jesus’ example to our lives? Unbelievers don’t usually hang out in churches. So we must move outside the walls and into our communities. Here are some ideas from my own past experiences and what other Christians have shared with me in recent weeks.

  • First, pray. Ask God to open opportunities for friendships with unbelievers.
  • Then, look around you. Who are the unbelievers God has already placed in your life? Invite a coworker to lunch and try to make it a routine. Ask your neighbor over for coffee. Get into her life, and let her get into yours. Ask about her kids, what her childhood was like, what she does on weekends. Try to find common interests, then do them together. Get manicures; go shopping; jog or walk together.
  • Join activities in your community. Sign up for a city league sports team. Volunteer with a local charity. Join a civic organization. Then work to build relationships with the other participants.
  • Be a regular. I have a favorite lunch spot or two, and I’m sure you do, too. Get to know the person behind the counter. Remember her name. If you go often enough, you’ll identify other regulars. Initiate conversations. For example, my parents eat at the same restaurant every Sunday after church. When I visit them on a weekend, they can usually tell me what’s going on in most of the employees’ lives – illnesses, academic endeavors, family issues. They learn all this because they often ask their servers how they can pray for them when they ask God’s blessings on their meal. They almost always get a warm response. Relationships grow out of encounters like these.
  • Don’t expect unbelievers to act like believers. The tax collectors were still greedy when Jesus ate with them, but he wasn’t shocked by that. At the same time, he didn’t let their greediness rub off on him. Be open with unbelievers, and let them be open with you. Just remember that their openness may give you an earful or eyeful of worldliness. Love them, but be careful not to follow them into sin.
  • Imitate Jesus, not the religious leaders, who refused to associate with people who lived out of God’s will because they were unclean. We must remember that we are sinners, too, and it is by God’s grace alone that we are not still dead in our sins. We have received grace, so there is no room for a condescending attitude. Our friendship with them should not be conditioned on whether they begin to follow Christ. On the contrary, our continued friendship could reinforce the gospel in a way that the Spirit eventually uses to draw them to Christ. Which leads to my final point…
  • Point them to Christ. This doesn’t mean we browbeat them with the gospel, but we should purposefully speak the truth of Christ into their lives. We are his ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5.20). This means our behavior should be above reproach and full of love. The greatest gesture of friendship is to tell them how to have abundant, eternal life in Christ.

Being a friend to unbelievers is a great investment of time, but it’s time well spent. When we leave our comfortable bubbles to engage those who are lost without the hope of Christ, we imitate Jesus, who left the riches of heaven, became human, and humbled himself to serve sinners and provide the way for their salvation (Philippians 2.1-11). Someone was once a Christian friend to your lost soul and pointed you to Christ, and you can do the same. This is what it is to be salt and light and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 5.13-16; 22.36-40).

Bethany Wester

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Top Ten Break-up Lines and Their Translations

Posted on March 5, 2013 | 2 Comments

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1. I think we should see other people.

Translation: I’ve been dating someone else for a while, and you’ll see my new relationship status on Facebook tomorrow.

2. I’m moving overseas.

Translation:  We stand a better chance of finding Bigfoot than going on another date.

3. I just need to be single right now.

Translation: I’ll call you after football season.

4. I don’t think we’re soulmates.

Translation: I’ve seen Napoleon Dynamite way too many times, and it has warped my view of romance.

5. It’s not you; it’s me.

Translation: I can’t come up with anything better than this cliché.

6. I’m not interested in a serious relationship.

Translation 1: I’m married.

Translation 2: I don’t want the responsibility of marriage.

7. I don’t think we should be together, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see each other.

Translation: I’m more interested in your roommate.

8. I think we need some time apart.

Translation: You’re clingy and that freaks me out.

9. I want to explore other options.

Translation:  I joined e-Harmony.

10. I think we’re in a rut and it’s time to go our separate ways.

Translation: I miss my Wii.

Bethany Wester

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Bethany’s Favs.

Posted on March 2, 2013 | Leave a comment
  1. Burt’s Bees lip shimmer in Peony. I like its “barely there” shade and minty fresh smell.  
  2. My Kindle Fire. I’m still partial to a good, old-fashioned book, but I like being able to carry around a small library that fits into my tote. And the wi-fi capability is a great bonus! 
  3. Turner Classic Movies. I prefer movies that were made when my grandparents were young. Give me Carey Grant or Audrey Hepburn, and I’m a happy camper!
  4. Dark chocolate. I have to have my daily hit.
  5. Simple skincare products. They’re kind to my oh-so-sensitive skin! All Products
  6. Operation World. This wonderful site highlights a country or region every day, with statistics, advancements of the gospel, and prayer concerns. It’s a great way to be involved with Great Commission work through prayer.Home
  7. Tea. It’s the house wine of the South, and I’m a southern girl. I take it slightly sweetened, iced or hot. I think green tea tastes like grass clippings, and the concoction of lemonade mixed with tea (the “Arnold Palmer”) is an abomination. It does not come out of the fountain next to the Sprite dispenser, and don’t add water to a powder and tell me it’s tea. That’s Kool-Aid. Real tea is brewed.
  8. Josh Groban’s latest album. I have a wide taste in music. You’re just as likely to hear Lecrae blaring through my car’s speakers, but this is my flavor of the month.Groban Josh All That Echoes - Only at Target Quick Information
  9. Downton Abbey. Yes, I know the season finale was a couple of weeks ago, but it’s still my favorite TV series. 
  10. The Crepevine, a tasty Tallahassee original. 

Bethany Wester

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Pure in Heart

Posted on February 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

purityinheart

Purity of heart has to do with our spiritual condition, what we treasure, what we find worthy of our devotion. It affects our emotions, will, and understanding and is reflected in our speech, actions, thoughts, stewardship, relationships, and well… everything.

When purity of heart is mentioned in the Bible, it is often associated with God’s presence. David asked in Psalm 24, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place [that is, in his presence]? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully” (3-4). Jesus taught, “Blessed (happy) are the pure (clean; free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt; free from what is false; blameless; innocent; unstained with the guilt of anything) in heart (the center and seat of spiritual life) for they shall see (to see with the mind, to perceive, know; become acquainted with by experience) God” (Matthew 5.8). Wow. Those who are pure in heart, free from the guilt of sin, are happy at the very core of their souls because they know and experience the one true God.

I don’t know about you, but I want to see God, to experience him now and be fully in his presence when this life is over. After all, heaven is being in God’s presence forever. But here’s a dilemma. The Bible teaches that in our sinful nature, our hearts are not pure. Quite the opposite, they are vile, wretched, and filthy, and because of our impure hearts we deserve hell — eternal torment separated from God’s presence.

Who can say, ‘I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin’?                         – Proverbs 20.9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17.9

I know this by the remnants of the “old man” that continually bring me to God in repentance. I am selfish, prone to prioritize other things above God, and don’t always love my neighbor. Should I despair of seeing God because of my sinful heart? No! Because while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (Romans 5.8). As Easter approaches, we focus on Jesus’ pure, sinless life and death in substitution of the life we cannot live and the death we deserve. Ephesians 5.25-27 teaches that Jesus gave himself up for the church “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Because of his life, death, and resurrection, we receive his righteousness, and he makes his people pure. Under the Old Testament law, nearly everything was purified by blood. When we trust Jesus for salvation, we are purified through his  sacrifice — his blood — and can enter God’s presence (Hebrews 4.14-16; 9.11-14). In the words of an early Christian brother, “O sweet exchange!”

So what does a pure heart, transformed by the blood of Christ, look like? The pure in heart do not envy the ways of the wicked, no matter how good their lives seem to be by worldly standards. When the psalmist Asaph contemplated the apparent “good life” that those who do not love God seem to enjoy, he noted that God is good to the pure in heart. They are near to God and have the benefits of his guidance, counsel, strength, and protection while the wicked will come to ruin (Psalm 73). When we are pure in heart, we are content in God’s presence and provision.

Also notice how often purity of heart is connected with truth: “The heart is deceitful above all things…” (Jeremiah 17.9a). “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully” (Psalm 24.4). Peter told his readers that they were purified by their obedience to the truth, and they were to love one another from pure hearts (1 Peter 1.22). The pure in heart have access to God through the sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the truth of God’s Word to them. The truth has set them free from fear, pride, and self-preservation to act with integrity, not misleading or having sinful motives toward others. Paul wrote that love issues from a pure heart (1 Timothy 1.5), and those with pure hearts pursue righteousness, love, faith, and peace (2 Timothy 2.22). Do you see fruits of the Spirit there? They are symptoms of a pure heart! The pure in heart walk in the truth of God’s Word, obey the command to love their neighbors, and grow in the fruits of the Spirit.

Purity of heart is righteousness, the absence of the guilt of sin, and we cannot drum it up on our own. We must trust in the purifying blood of Jesus and walk in the Spirit, who strengthens us to turn from sin. Purity of heart means treasuring God above all else, walking in his truth, loving our neighbors, and pursuing the fruits of the Spirit. The more I experience the righteousness and purity he gives, the more I hunger for it because it brings me closer to God. We are blessed beyond measure when we are pure in heart because, free from the penalty of sin, we can bask in God’s presence!

Bethany Wester

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Top Ten Ways to Reinforce Single Woman Stereotypes on Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 12, 2013 | 1 Comment

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  1. Make a pea shooter out of PVC pipe and load it with candy hearts. Hide in the bushes at work and pelt unsuspecting flower delivery guys as they enter. 
  2. Just for Valentine’s Day, change your ringtone to Taylor Swift’s “Another Picture to Burn.” Jack up the volume and call yourself from another phone every half hour.
  3. Become a Valentine’s Day Scrooge. Every time someone tells you “Happy Valentine’s Day,” respond with “Bah humbug!”
  4. Make a statement tee-shirt that reads “Cupid is a fraud” and wear it — and a sour expression — all day. This pairs well with #3.
  5. Take a safety-pin into the floral department of a grocery store and gleefully begin popping the Valentine’s balloons.
  6. If you aren’t kicked out of the grocery store, buy a roll of cookie dough and a pint of ice cream in every available flavor. At the checkout, begin chowing down on the cookie dough. Give the cashier an icy look when she asks if you found everything you’re looking for.
  7. Post a rant on your Facebook wall on your theory that Valentine’s Day is a conspiracy of the floral, jewelry, greeting card, and candy industries and tag all your “friends.” Comment on your post repeatedly throughout the day. 
  8. On your lunch break, go to the nearest store, pick up one of those iconic heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, and sob inconsolably as you dig in. With chocolate smeared all over your face and fingers, proceed to the greeting card section. With each card you read, increase the volume and frequency of your sobs.
  9. Take a page out of Lucy’s book and try to attract a man by smashing a piano in a fit of hysteria. (Really, this is hilarious!)
  10. Buy a heart-shaped piñata and show no mercy.

Bethany Wester

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All about the Money, Honey

Posted on February 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

I’m a SINK in the eyes of the IRS – Single Income, No Kids. Translation: I’m responsible for every penny that comes in or goes out of my household of one. I also live in a spend-happy, debt-laden society that practically assaults me with pressure to buy, throw away, and buy again. So what’s a single gal to do with her paycheck? Here are a few tips I’m learning along the way (and these go for single guys and married folks, too):

  • Understand that my money is not mine – it is God’s. John Piper states that your “money… is wasted when it doesn’t achieve the purposes of its owner, which is God…. His purpose is that you use money in such a way that it will be plain that his Son is more valuable than money.” I manage it rather than own it. Thinking of my money as belonging to someone else gives more weight to what I do with it (James 1.17).
  • Give generously and cheerfully. I love that the pastors at my church often refer to 2 Corinthians 9 just before we collect the offering. That passage is laced with references to the blessing and pleasure of giving. I can give generously and joyfully because I have received grace and know that my stewardship has eternal value. I’m trying to adopt this mindset: I have in order to give (Ephesians 4.28).
  • Save strategically. Planning for the future is not incompatible with generous giving (Proverbs 6.6-11). I have adopted the out-of-sight-out-of-mind method of saving. I have set up monthly automatic withdrawals from my checking account into various savings, certificates of deposit (CDs), and other interest-earning accounts for financial goals and for emergencies. Just make sure that your saving plan meets your needs for availability of funds. For instance, if you need to make a tuition or car payment once a month, don’t lock the money into a 24-month CD, even if it earns more interest than a regular savings account. Talk this over with a banker if you need help.
  • Invest wisely. In one of Jesus’s parables, a master commended his servants who wisely invested the money he placed in their care (Matthew 25.14-30). This parable has a spiritual dimension, as does money management. Greed is a path to destruction, but wise management of all God entrusts to us honors him. Make sure you give to organizations and choose investment plans carefully. In short, read the fine print.
  • Spend carefully. Learn to distinguish needs from wants. If the purchase I’m considering is a “want,” that doesn’t mean I have to walk away from it, but I should think more about the purchase. Can I use it to bless someone else? Will I have to go without something I need because of it? Will I still be able to give generously? Also, refuse to take on debt for lesser things because it can be an enslaving, long-term burden. Education, medical, mortgage, and transportation expenses are all either investments or necessities that may require debt. Racking up thousands of dollars on a high-interest credit card for the latest technologies, designer fashions, or vacations is not worth it.

Jesus knows the grip money can take on our souls — he mentioned it more than heaven or hell! So I encourage you (and myself!) to heed Hebrews 13.5: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

Bethany Wester

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Spiritual Disciplines: Loving the Lord with Our Minds

Posted on January 30, 2013 | 1 Comment

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Many of us would rather eat dirt than study. Learning is time-consuming and challenging, and we tend to avoid it because it requires discipline. The word disciple comes from the Latin word discipulus, which means “learner,” and despite our disinclinations, learning is essential to discipleship.

Unbiblical doctrines and attitudes have plagued America’s churches for centuries and persist today — liberal trends that deny the authority of Scripture or the deity of Christ, extreme separatism from the secular culture, prosperity gospel preachers, and more.  Add this to the superficial materialism that characterizes the secular culture and the importance of growing in the knowledge of God and his Word becomes clear. We can love God from the moment of conversion, when we know only the basic principles of the gospel, but zeal without knowledge can be misguided. We can even be the perpetrators of false teachings if we are ill-informed, but growth in our knowledge of God fuels our love for him, and our actions become more faithful to his will.

Learning is a way to become more like Jesus (Luke 2.40, 46-47), and the Bible shows us repeatedly the importance and the benefits of growing in knowledge. A few examples:

  • “The wise lay up knowledge.” (Proverbs 10.14a)
  • “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” (Proverbs 18.15)
  • “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11.29)
  • “And you shall love the Lord your God…with all your mind.” (Mark 12.30)
  • “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12.2)
  • “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God…. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5.11, 14)

Growing in knowledge facilitates a deeper relationship with God and bolsters our witnessing. It also improves spiritual discernment, which helps us walk in obedience, convicts us of sin, and protects us from false teachings. So where do we begin? Should you pursue formal theological education? Maybe, but most Christians will grow in knowledge through other means. As singles, we have more flexibility in our time for seeking the Lord through deeper study. We should rejoice and be good stewards of that privilege and trust that through it God is making us fit for his kingdom and for our future marriages, careers, children, and ministries. Here are a few ideas to get you started, along with some of my recommendations:

  • Find a good study Bible and a plan for reading it. God’s Word is our primary source for growth in knowledge, but sometimes we need a little help in understanding it and disciplining ourselves to read it. I like the ESV Study Bible, with its year-long plan for reading through the Bible. Try book studies, such as Kay Arthur’s and John MacArthur’s. Commentaries are also helpful. Desiring God offers suggestions for each book of the Bible here.
  • Take advantage of group studies at your church or other churches in your area.
  • Check out seminars and conferences available through Bible colleges, seminaries, and churches and are open to the public. For example, The Gospel Coalition offers a slate of presentations from leading theologians and pastors at their annual conferences.
  • Read, read, read. But be wise about the authors. Always measure what you read and hear against Scripture. Read old books. Christians of earlier eras have much to teach us. Try Augustine’s Confessions, John Owen’s The Mortification of Sin, and Jonathan Edwards’s sermons. A string of free e-books are collected here. Read biographies of influential Christians, such as Eric Metaxas’s Amazing Grace and Bonhoeffer or Timothy George’s biography of William Carey. Read newer authors, such as Timothy Keller, David Platt, and John Piper. Finally, read heavier theology. A few of my favorite introductory books on  Christian doctrine: Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology (or his less intimidating Christian Beliefs), Bruce Ware’s Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, and John Stott’s The Cross of Christ.

Loving Jesus more should be the goal and joy of learning no matter the context. Now go do your homework!

Bethany Wester

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Evangelism: You’re Free to Share

Posted on January 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. – Romans 1:16

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:17

SD_evangelism

 Evangelism. I wanted to run for cover at the mention of the word just a few years ago. I was paralyzed by the idea of approaching a complete stranger and leading off with a question along the lines of “If you died today and God asked you why he should let you into heaven, what would you say?” It seemed intrusive, awkward, and pre-packaged. And I was self-conscious. What if I said the wrong thing? What if my fumbling attempt only worked to harden a skeptic’s heart? What if someone asked me a question or presented an argument I couldn’t answer? What if they laughed, yelled, or cussed me out? What if…

Mercifully, God can straighten out our misguided ideas of evangelism and answer all our “what if’s” with the truth of his Word. Evangelism is a spiritual discipline, as well as a holy and awesome privilege, and it is far less intimidating when some of the myths we believe about it are broken down.

Myth #1: Evangelism is a gift, and I don’t have it.

Yes, Ephesians 4.11 names evangelism as a spiritual gift, but Jesus calls and empowers all his followers to be witnesses of the gospel (Matthew 28.19-20; Acts 1.8). While some people are called to a paid or unpaid vocation of taking the gospel to unbelievers, all Christians are expected to live out and speak the gospel to unbelievers in their daily lives (1 Peter 2.9). We are not all called to share the gospel in the same way, using the same methods, but we are all called.

Myth #2: I never have the opportunity to share the gospel.

It’s rare for an unbeliever to flat-out ask a Christian to tell them about Jesus, so we have to be intentional about creating opportunities. This is where the discipline of evangelism comes in. Worldly pressures, our sinful nature, and demonic powers are against us. Ask God to provide opportunities, to open your eyes to them, and to give you discernment and the words to say. We can discipline ourselves to think evangelistically when we are in the company of unbelievers, and we can use the specific gifts God has given us to turn conversations to the gospel. Simply asking how you can pray for someone, about their own religious background, or what they think about current events and where it’s all heading or the reason we exist can be excellent ways of smoothly moving into a gospel-focused discussion. Be sure to listen to what the person is saying. He or she is created in God’s image and will spend eternity somewhere. It’s important to show that we genuinely care.

Myth #3: Successful evangelism is measured by conversions.

Successful evangelism is measured by presenting the gospel. We plant and water the seeds. God alone brings the growth (1 Corinthians 3.6-7). We must not be discouraged by unresponsiveness. God is the one who saves. What a liberating truth! We are not responsible for unbelievers’ rejection or repentance. We are only responsible for “gossiping the gospel,” as Will Metzger put it. On the flip side, we can’t allow ourselves to boast when we are privileged to be present when someone trusts Jesus for salvation. The glory is God’s alone.

Myth #4: I’m too uncomfortable/I don’t speak well/My sins are too great to evangelize effectively.

Dr. Donald Whitney gives several reasons Christians are afraid of sharing the gospel: rejection; training in a style of evangelism that’s contrary to our gifts and personalities; the serious nature of evangelism. But he reminds us that God would not expect us to evangelize if he did not give us power through the Holy Spirit to do it (Acts 1.8; 2 Corinthians 2.14-17), and he does so in ways that are compatible with our personalities, gifts, and circumstances. We often believe that our sins are too great for us to effectively share the gospel, but humble honesty about what Christ has saved us from and his unceasing grace and forgiveness can show an unbeliever the beauty of the gospel – that Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1.15-16). Remember, it is the gospel that leads to salvation, not our abilities or eloquence.

John Piper wrote, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” I think the same can be said about evangelism. We tell others the great news of Jesus because God desires and deserves worship. It is a joyous responsibility, when you think about it. God could call people audibly or write messages in the sky, but the God of the universe wants us to bring the message of his glorious plan of salvation to lost and dying sinners. Even if you begin disciplining yourself to evangelize merely out of a sense of duty, you won’t do it that way for long. You will soon discover the intoxicating joy of telling others about Jesus.

Want to read more about evangelism? Check out Will Metzger’s Tell the Truth.

Bethany Wester

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