Proselytizing means making converts, which implies arm-twisting. That’s not our job. Evangelizing means telling the good news. That’s our calling – simply telling what God has done. As Paul writes, “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.” (I Peter 3.15)
In practical terms, reaching past ourselves means: 1) reaching out in love to the people around us by showing interest and giving time, 2) developing meaningful friendships, and 3) as God gives opportunity, giving voice to that which matters most to us. Our homes and workplaces are key settings for these friendships and conversations.
God has given each of us a specific vocational calling that places us out in the community and brings us alongside others, many of them non-Christians. This is a natural platform for living out and speaking about our faith.
God calls us to be uncommon people seeking the common good. Whatever our calling — studying, practicing medicine, farming, working in the home, doing research, serving in politics — God intends us to pursue it in a way that reflects Him and benefits others.
Our vocation also gives us a platform to point to the One who is our light and life. We do this both by living a godly life and by telling people about this Jesus we follow. Just as it is natural for us to talk about our family or our weekend plans, so it should be natural for us to talk about the One we love even more than our family, and to tell what He has done for us and what we are seeking to do for Him.
We tend to see our homes as places of retreat from the world rather than places into which we bring the world. But hospitality is a pervasive theme in the Scriptures, and something to which God calls us. Distinct from entertaining, which usually means trying to impress, hospitality is simply sharing a bit of life together. Why not pull out some leftovers and invite a co-worker or your next door neighbors over?
God put you where you are for a reason. There are practical ways to let your light shine in your neighborhood. Bring cookies to new neighbors. Find ways to serve when they are sick or away. Provide a phone list for your street. Host a block party.
