And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” Acts 26:27-28
Not many of us can be as bold as Paul was, preaching the Gospel not only as if his life depended on it, but even when his life (or death) depended on it. Even in chains, he remained not only firm in his beliefs, but continued to try and convert anyone within ear shot, whether it was the king, or a prison guard, or another poor soul sitting with him in a dank, dark cell.
But there is one way we can be and do as he said – “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am.”
When a person makes the commitment to come to Christ is between them and God, not them and us. Our task is to keep preaching the Good News, and if all else fails, to use words. Whether we have the blessed privilege to speak a stirring talk then have tens or hundreds come forward in an altar call, or whether only one person turns their life around after knowing us half their lives, we are still about our Father’s business, casting seeds. In our number crunching, result driven world, that’s a difficult thing to fathom. We have to trust God will use us for His purpose, not try to use Him to prove we have purpose.
What are you doing to win souls for Christ? As you go through your day, remember SOULS – it may help you.
S – Show Christ in your life. Actions really do speak louder than words, especially with people we come in contact with on a regular basis.
O- Be obedient. If you feel the Holy Spirit spurring you to witness or do a kind act, don’t second guess it. Do it, then leave the reaction and result to God.
U – Understand what you believe and back it up by Scripture. The more you study, pray and memorize God’s word, the more you will be shielded from temptations and affirm the power of the Word.
L – Love others as Christ loved them. Asked God to let you see them through His eyes- as people worth saving. Sometimes, that may be the hardest part, but if the person senses a lack of sincerity, they will shut you out.
S – Remain as sinless as possible. Confess whatever sin you may be harboring so it doesn’t clog you up as a conduit. As they say on Christian radio, “People see what you do, God sees why you do it.”
That’s the long and short of it. Only God can measure our efforts for Him.
