Good witnesses are safe people with a dangerous message. We’re safe because we’re real and genuinely care about what’s best for people. The message, on the other hand, is dangerous because when Jesus moves in he takes over. He knocks down the walls and replaces all the furniture. Receiving him is dangerous and rejecting him is even more so.
Some people begin their evangelistic interactions by pointing out what’s wrong with their victims. I prefer, if they don’t trust me yet, to start somewhere else. It’s not that I’m afraid to share the bad news (of sin and judgment), which makes the good news (of salvation) necessary. It’s that I suspect they’ll be less apt to hear the bad news from someone they don’t trust.
When a new acquaintance tells you how hammered they got over the weekend and woke up next to someone they don’t remember meeting, though your sin-o-meter is triggered and you’re tempted to quote Ezekiel chapter and verse, unless absolutely prompted by the Spirit, don’t. Yes, speaking the truth in love is a thing, but even Jesus resisted the temptation to tell people everything he knew.
– Originally published in Reaching Rahab: Joining God In His Quest For Friends
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