Seizing the Season: Being Faithful & Fearless to Spread the Good News

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2 NKJV)

Do you ever pray for an opportunity to share the gospel? And then, do you look for it? I am finding more and more lately that these kinds of moments are chances to prove my love to the Lord. The dismaying thing is, I fail Him more often than I prove Him. However, I continue to learn. Maybe you can relate.

Think of the Opportunities Being Presented Today

For instance, a few weeks ago, as I was out to get the mail at our apartment complex, an elderly lady in a house dress approached me by the aid of a walker. She mentioned how warm it was out this afternoon, quite randomly.

If you know me, I’m typically an open book to strangers, especially friendly old ladies. She and I got to talking, and the topic eventually evolved into a conversation about the state of our country and how far we’ve backslidden in the last generation or two. She said, “This world needs a good kick in the pants.” I lamented, sharing a similar sentiment, but hiding my true feelings behind the apprehension of what to say.

Instead of being bold and brave for Jesus, I stated, “Personally, I think that it’s in need of some good discipline, yes.” Rather than saying what my heart yearned to say, that this world needs Jesus, I defaulted to “It’s coming, one way or another,” alluding to Judgment Day, I guess.

Oh boy, was I convicted when we parted ways. I was so close to making that a gospel-sharing moment. I let my timid spirit get the better of me, hiding behind my fear of man. That was kind of a Peter-denying-Jesus moment there. How I wish I could go back and change my response.

To Say or Not To Say

A few days ago, I had another teachable moment that I let fear determine the omission of the truth. It wasn’t quite a gospel-sharing opportunity, but I suppressed the chance to share my knowledge of a fact. My incriminating fault: remaining quiet in the grocery store deli line.

A boy about nine years old stood next to me awaiting his meal with his mom and sister. Bubbling with enthusiasm, he shared his knowledge with his older sister about Saint Augustine, a city I’ve visited a few times. “Saint Augustine? I learned about that in school–yeah, it’s the oldest city in the country.”

Fact.

His sister, playfully holding his arms back, answered him, “No, it’s not.” And while I felt for the boy being ignored and disbelieved by an older sibling, I didn’t step up and say something to affirm his knowledge of the truth.

This fact, as small and simple as it was, lingered with doubt in the older sibling’s mind for some reason, and she disagreed. Just as she held her brother’s arms back, I let fear hold mine.

But isn’t the same principle at play when an opportunity to share the gospel arises? Like the quiet, reserved neighbor I was in the deli line that day, I’m afraid all I do sometimes is stand by and let people be persuaded by the voice they want to hear.

That Tricky Old Fallacy

Ironically, a half-truth I’d learned in Sunday School in my youth may be one of the main reasons why I don’t let myself be bold for the Lord.

The half-truth is this: the Lost cannot understand the Truth, therefore, those unbelievers who don’t listen to God’s commands are unable to grasp their lostness and the Ruler of this world (Satan) blinds them to see their true need for a savior.

Following that logic can lead to justifying my answer for why I don’t tell my neighbor about Jesus, because “they wouldn’t understand.”

Only, I was spiritually dead at one point, and yet I grasped the message of the gospel. In fact, I was a little girl, no more than six years old when I accepted Jesus’s sacrifice for me. I could understand it at such a young age. I balk at the thought that I can use this reasoning to justify why I shouldn’t share the gospel.

But If We Don’t Give Up, There Are Benefits

Think of the possibilities if we do follow through and share Christ with others. We’ll be able to give that person a dose of Truth that may be the light they are ready to accept and take in. It’s not up to me to determine their answer, whether they accept or reject Jesus as their Lord. It’s up to me to be obedient to Christ’s great commission and greatest commandment. It’s up to me to be open and ready in season and out, and to look for those opportunities.

It’s in those cases that I’m loving my neighbor as myself. It wouldn’t be loving to have the solution to the woes and dead ends of life, and not share it with all those traveling that dead-end road.

In these moments, here are a few questions I can ask to make a pivotal place in my heart, and give myself (and God) more room to make it a gospel-sharing opportunity:

1. Can I take a leap of faith and testify of God’s goodness or salvation in this conversation?
2. How can I accommodate and yield to the Holy Spirit, giving me the words to speak through me?
3. Can I also give the other person time, listen to understand what the other person is saying, and validate them? Can I then ask them, “Do you know what I think?” or “Can I share with you what I know to be true?” in a more agreeable manner than outright cutting them off?

If I miss the opportunity, I can ask God’s forgiveness, confess I missed the chance to share His love, and then ask and look for another opportunity in the future. Remember, it’s not the end of the story when we miss our turn to plant seeds of the gospel. Let’s just focus on learning for next time.

If you’ve missed opportunities, here’s a prayer to guide you to a renewed hope for the next chance you find to share the gospel:

Father in Heaven,

Help me take heart. Greater are You within me than he who is in the world who can never stop You from pursuing Your loved ones. I accept and submit to the authority and power belonging to Jesus. Help me seize those moments, whether I’m ready for them or not, and take the risk of sharing the Good News with all. I ask for Your spirit of power to remain steadfast, to share from love for my neighbor, and faithfulness to preach the gospel, making the most of every opportunity, no matter the season.

In Jesus’ name, amen.