You receive a card in an envelope. For your birthday. For graduation. From the consultant you just hired. As thanks for helping a friend move into a new apartment.
You curiously open the envelope and slide the card out, glancing at the front cover, which says something nice like, “Congratulations, graduate!” or “Friends are like rainbows” or “Thank You.”
Then you open up the card and you see two different types of writing on the inside, one is pre-printed on the card and the other writing is scribbled by a friend or uncle or your boss or your 4-year-old granddaughter. Which is more meaningful?
Even though a paid professional created the pre-printed message, and even though the font on the pre-printed message is symmetrically balanced and the letters are curved and spaced to perfection—the personal note is more meaningful.
You may actually have personal notes of encouragement, love or thanks from years ago filed some place special because they’re still meaningful today. In one-on-one communication personal notes are more appreciated than professional poetry because they’re spoken from the heart. It’s personal.
Imagine this parallel scenario. Your friend is curious about God. You’ve talked religion together a little bit but not much, but she knows you’re a Christian. She texts you and asks how you can believe in a God who allows so many bad things to happen. Do you … A) forward her question to your pastor who, as the religious professional, can expertly craft a detailed response loaded with doctrine, or B) give it your best shot and tell her what you think, maybe including a time when you had wondered the same thing?
In one-on-one communication about faith, personal witnessing is more meaningful than professional dissertation.
The Bible refers to Christians as “jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Clay pots. That label implies that nothing needs to be flashy about you sharing your faith.
When you speak to others about your faith, it’s more important to be personal and transparent. Just tell your story, and how it connects to Jesus.
We personalize everything these days—home screens, license plates, passwords, koozies. So personalize your witnessing that tells what Jesus has done in your life.
PRAYER: Dear God, use me and other Christians to speak plainly and personally to the hurting, the dying, the fearful, and the doubting. Give me a better understanding of your work in my life so that I can tell others how great you are. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Think and pray about this: 1) What has happened in your life lately that is a blessing from Jesus or answer to prayer? 2) Who needs Jesus and you can tell them about it?