"And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life." (Philippians 4:3)
As Christian women, are we laboring together in the Gospel? What has become known as the Great Commission has not yet be revoked. It is Jesus' final command to His disciples as He ascended into heaven.
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20)
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)
Our primary duty as Christians is to tell others of the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ. I suppose most of us who are Christians (if not all of us) know this in our hearts, but it is not quite so easy to work out in our lives. Before I got married and had children, I was heavily involved in the evangelism team at the church we attended, but that faded into the background as we got married, had children, and got busy with everyday life. So, how do we do this with young children in the family? God has a Family Plan, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, that shows us how.
1. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." (v. 4, 5)
First we must know God and serve Him only. Jesus said that no man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). You can't serve the Lord AND other things. As Christians we can't have anything come before Him. We must have our priorities straight, and keep them straight. God must come first. If He is the center of our lives, witnessing to others for Him will flow out of our lives. If TV shows, sports, or hobbies are at the center of our lives, then that will be all that we talk about. If Jesus is just some add-on, something we "do on Sundays", then that will be communicated to others, whether we intend to or not. When Jesus is at the center of our lives, He will be what we primarily talk about, because He will affect every area of our lives, even our interests and hobbies. It will be as Peter said. We won't be able to keep from speaking of what we have seen and heard! (Acts 4:20).
We often don't think of it, but even our marriages preach Christ in as much as they are centered around the Lord. In Ephesians 5, Paul teaches us that our marriages are a type of Christ and the Church. Our marriages can either be a witness to a lost world about Christ's sacrificial love for His church, and His church's unwavering dedication to Him, or it will preach lies about Him, such as the large number of "Christians" who are getting divorced at the same rate that Non-Believers are getting divorced. A godly marriage is a witness.
Our children and family life is also a witness if it is centered around the Lord. We live in a day where most people treat their dogs better than their children, and where it is not uncommon for people to stick their children in a kennel all day long. My children refer to daycare as "the kennel" because they visited a friend's daycare center once, with rows of cribs along a wall, built in, that, according to my 7 year old daughter, were similar to the kennel we left our dog at when we went on vacation once. Christians leaving their children in a kennel all day tells the world that the Lord has as low an opinion of children as most unchurched people. Christians treating their children poorly in other ways and complaining about parenthood, and expressing a view contrary to the Bible's view of Children as blessings tell the world that the Lord feels this way about children and families. In contrast, most of my witnessing opportunities in recent years have been a direct result of my children and I (and sometimes my husband) being out in public just being ourselves--which apparently is unusual in the eyes of most people. They are not used to seeing happy, contented children who are not throwing fits on the floor of the store with parents say no, and happy, contented parents that seem to actually ENJOY (---gasp---) their children.
2. "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:" (v. 6) Next, we see that we must know His Word. It needs to be in our hearts. David wrote, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11). We must hide His word in our hearts, and know what it says. If we really believe it is the inspired Word of God that we claim it is, then it is time we start acting like it. If His word is in our hearts, it will come out in our life and in our speech. We can't live it if we don't know it.
3. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (v. 7)
Good witnesses don't just focus on evangelizing the heathen on the other side of the world. They first evangelize and disciple those souls within their own homes. Our children are our only worldly possession we have the possibility of having with us in heaven. As the saying goes, the days are long but the years are short. Don't squander your time in this short season of your life, while your children are still under your roof! As I mentioned before, the world has specific stereotypes of what a family is, and most people have a low view of children, life, and family. Usually, they take a grin and bear it approach to raising children, hoping things will work out when the children are older. We are not perfect, and we don't have to pretend that we are. When we are sold out to the Lord, and in His word, that WILL come out in how we react to our children, and how we raise them. We will treat our children in such a way that keeps with the Lord's view of children. We will train them as He trains us, and we will communicate His love for them to them through our every day life, and as we do this, others will take note.
It always amazes me how much people notice, even when you think they don't. I am often floored by some of the comments I get from people when I am out in the store, or at the park, or doctors office. When you are living conformed to the Lord, and not this world, especially in how you raise your children and order your family life, people do notice.
4. "And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." (v. 9) Our citizenship is in Heaven. As a result, our homes are embassies of Heaven right here on earth, and we are ambassadors to the lost world. The Jews of old (And even some conservative sects today) took these verses very literally, and would hang pieces of the Scriptures on their doorposts and gates, and tie them on their foreheads and wrists. However, we don't have to decorate our houses with the Word of God, but rather we should adorn ourselves with it! We should pray and ask the Lord to give us wisdom in making our homes embassies that honor Him, and lighthouses that will shine His love and light into a dark world. Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)
This goes back to having Jesus at the center our lives, and all that we do. Salt makes you thirsty. When people see our lives, lived in the shadow of the cross, and walking by faith, it should make them thirsty for more. Light guides and draws people in. A light in a lighthouse guides ships into a harbor and away from danger in the darkness. Our lives should guide others to the Savior, not repel them.
Let's get practical. What are some things a mom with young ones can do to be a witness to others?
10. Stay in the Word and in Prayer. The closer you are to the Lord, the closer He draws to you (James 4:6-7). Do not neglect your quiet time with the Lord under any circumstances. If you need some help or assistance, check out my book, Quiet Times in Loud Households.
9. Examine your own heart often, to make sure your heart is right before the Lord
8. Carry tracts with you.
7. Realize that people are watching you, especially if they know you are a Christian.
6. Follow the Spirit's leading. Be immediately obedient to Him. If He tells you to go talk to someone, do it. God knows the hearts of others, no matter what they look like on the outside.
5. Stay on Topic. Avoid fruitless discussions and arguing over trivia. If someone asks you a question that stumps you, honestly say that you don't know, but you will look it up and get back with them. Don't let yourself be sidetracked by other things.
4. You're not selling Amway, so don't act like it. Avoid "evangelism programs" that give the hard sell, and "trick" people into answering yes before they really understand. We are not saved by praying a prayer, but by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. There will be many on that day of judgment who will be bewildered as they are turned away from the gates of heaven, because while they prayed a prayer, they did not have a genuine faith in the finished work of Christ (Matthew 7:21-23). Remember that "...godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation..." (2 Corinthians 7:10). We want genuine repentance unto salvation, not signed decision cards, or tally on our spiritual scorecard.
3. Take advantage of special services at your church to invite people.
2. Realize your role in evangelism. You are to TELL people about the Lord; you're not the one who SAVES them. God saves, and you proclaim. Does that take the pressure off? :-)
1. Sow Seed Often and trust God that it will be watered and that Hewill give the increase in due time. (1 Corinthians 3:6)
Copyright 2000, Kimberly Eddy, www.joyfulmomma.org. Permission granted to reprint this article for non-commercial purposes so long as this line and link are included.
