Your Thoughts About Outreach (Witnessing/Evangelism/Apologetics)

[crossnote]

Good morning, crossnote,

I've been reflecting on the topic of insincerity over the past few days, particularly on how contemporary individuals approach life. Your observation about the potential for unintentional embellishment in testimonies touched upon a broader issue that I believe warrants deeper consideration.

I've come to realize that I still carry remnants of an "Instagram-life" mentality, a habit I'm actively working to eradicate and for which I repent. By this, I mean that people today often present a curated version of themselves, striving to appear better, more successful, and happier than they truly are. It's akin to Instagram, where only the highlights are shared, and unfortunately, these highlights are often staged rather than genuine. In pursuit of "likes," people fabricate seemingly joyful moments, edit photos to enhance their appearance – essentially, they embellish their "Instagram lives." This habit then seeps into our daily lives, where we unconsciously develop a tendency to withhold information "for our own good" or to add a touch of exaggeration to present ourselves in a more favorable light. Over time, this becomes ingrained in our character and behavior. It was only two days ago that I fully grasped that these "embellishments," regardless of how we label them, are essentially forms of dishonesty.

Coincidentally, on that very day, God allowed me to connect with someone whose authenticity and openness were incredibly refreshing. Despite their circumstances, they were remarkably genuine, demonstrating the power of "life without Instagram." I now pray that my heart may become as transparent, and I'm committed to overcoming this ingrained habit.

Therefore, when you mention individuals who slightly embellish their testimonies, you're addressing a symptom of a much larger issue. The pervasive culture of dishonesty, often subtle and unconscious, shapes our interactions and even influences how we share our faith.
Thank you for raising this important point. It has prompted deep introspection.

Sincerely,
Yurii

Yurii, Thank you for your authenticity and openness, will be praying for your progress in this matter.

 

[Marilyn C]

Greetings Everyone, I'd be interested in hearing some of your thoughts about our Biblical call to witnessing, evangelism and/or apologetics.

For instance, how do you define "witnessing", "evangelism" and/or "apologetics"? Also, do you believe they are different from one another in certain ways, or that all of them are basically referring to the same thing?

Do you think that all believers are called to engage in one or more of these methods of reaching the lost, or do you believe that the Lord has given each of them as gifts to certain Christians, but not others (and if the latter, why do you believe it so)?

Finally, there seems to be a popular belief or trend in the church today, specifically, that being an effective witness/evangelist for the Lord is mostly about what we do/how we act towards others as believers, rather than what we say to them (and, in fact, that talking to others about the faith should only be done as a last resort). Do you think that this trend is a good idea, or not so much? Why/Why not?

(One last thought on this: The Apostle Paul admonishes us to "speak the truth in love". Can we truly love the lost if we choose not to do so?)

Thanks everybody I know that it's a lot, so please feel free to comment on as much or as little of the above as you'd like to.

God bless you!!

--

Hi Papa,

Great topic. I have been asking the Lord if there is someone that I can pray for when I go up the street. The other day while shopping in a nearby town I came out of the Chemist and sat on a seat next to a lady. We started chatting and after a while I asked her if I could pray for her. She thought and then said yes. So I did that. I now pray for her in my prayer times. She lives in another town and I don`t always get to this town, but God will have others to follow up with her.

When we go on our caravan holidays we often get the opportunity to make friends and share of our faith. We hope to go away again this year in a few months when it is colder here and thus head north to the warmer climate.

So, I believe we just need to work with the Lord and be natural in our conversation. These days of great trouble in the world is always a good opportunity to say how our trust is in God. People are fearing and need to hear that God is overall.

Marilyn.