A Heart for Mission

Sharing our faith is first and foremost about the heart, not methods or techniques.

When I was in my twenties, and working at Ford Motor Company, I was taken by friends to “Mission England” events at both Upton Park (West Ham) and White Hart Lane (Tottenham Hotspur).

There, I heard gospel presentations by Luis Palau and Billy Graham. And I will always be grateful to those friends who invited me to go along at the time.

But looking back now, I would say that it was my friends who were Christians, and the conversations I had with them, that had the greater impact on me. Later, I came to appreciate that they had been praying faithfully for God to reveal the truth of the gospel to me.

Their faith was important enough to them for them to want to share it!

That was in the mid-1980s, and a lot has changed. Those evangelistic events of yesteryear no longer attract the large crowds they once did. Instead, evangelists talk about “Network evangelism”.

Network evangelism isn’t an event, nor is it a program. It’s a lifestyle. It is about cultivating a desire to share our Christian faith within the everyday rhythm of life; among the people who fall into one’s circle of family, friends and acquaintances.

This could be as simple as inviting someone to come along to a church service, or church social, with you. Or being ready to gently tell someone in conversation what you believe, and why!

That might sound fine. But we will only speak out, or make the invitation, if we believe our Christian faith is something worth sharing. This is where the heart comes into play.

The truth is that we speak about what is in our hearts and minds. When a young woman gets engaged, it’s amazing how her life and conversations change. She shows off that ring. She shows others pictures of her fiancé. She updates her Facebook status. She begins planning the wedding. She starts shopping for that wedding dress! Why? Because she has found her love! She doesn’t go days and weeks without talking about Mr Right. She doesn’t have to be bullied into talking about him. She wants to!

We talk about what’s important to us, whether that’s a football team, a television program, a great holiday, our favourite pet, or time spent with the grandchildren.

The more you treasure Jesus, and all that he has done for you, the more likely you will be to express your faith in him openly and freely. When we read our Bibles daily, and pray on a regular basis, we cultivate that inner spiritual life out of which comes the desire to share our faith with others.

As we grow in our love for our Lord, we will find ourselves praying for others to know him; showing love in acts of kindness, or being able to speak about Christ in a natural and appealing manner.

May we beseech the Holy Spirit to so fill our hearts with the love, joy and peace of the Lord, that we overflow with joy, and find it easy and natural to tell others of the goodness of God.

Sharing our faith is first and foremost about the heart, not methods or techniques.

Revd Stephen Robertson

Mission Community Leader

21st April 2022