Kelly Carr, Interim Editor

Think of a time when someone made you feel special. Maybe it was on your birthday or other special occasion. Maybe it was an encouraging card in the mail or a phone call from a long-lost friend. 

When someone takes time to let you know how important you are, your day is completely changed. You walk a little taller; you feel a smile coming on. Confidence and joy that previously seemed out of reach are now dwelling in your heart. 

That’s how others should feel when we share the good news of Jesus with them—special, loved, confident that they were created for a reason. 

Who, Me?

Some of us get butterflies in our stomachs at the mention of sharing our faith. That’s downright scary. Surely witnessing is meant only for preachers (that’s their job) and super-extroverts (they’ll talk to anyone). 

But we all have the ability to share the love of Jesus. It doesn’t have to be intimidating. Sharing your faith doesn’t require you to give a speech in front of thousands or stand on the street corner with a sign. It’s about building relationships with people and responding to everyday situations with God’s truth on your lips and his guidance in your actions. 

God could have chosen different methods, but he chose to use us as his communicators. And he uses every person to share his salvation in a distinct way. Just as each of us is created uniquely, God’s Spirit communicates through us differently. He might spur one person to give a speech, but he might spur another to sit quietly beside a grieving friend. 

One Spirit, Different Gifts

I’m blessed to have seen a variety of ways that God uses my friends to share his love: 

• Jim is bold and unafraid to speak to anyone about Jesus. He has gone door to door in order to invite neighbors and strangers alike to come to his church.

• Joe has a similar boldness. I watched him stop and pray with a stranger while our church was out Christmas caroling; I saw pictures of him overseas alongside a missionary, sharing his faith in English while the missionary translated. 

• Melissa is a confessed introvert yet pushes beyond her comfort zone to greet visitors at church. She joins book clubs to get to know people in her community. She regularly invites people into her home to get to know them better over a warm meal. 

• Kathy is a prayer warrior, spending time lifting up people’s needs and spiritual growth to God. She builds one-on-one relationships with grace and depth. As she opens her heart to others, they have more profound conversations. Her neighbor began attending church and seeking faith after experiencing Kathy’s loving, long-term friendship. 

• Susan, my single friend, as well as Scott and Robyn, a married couple, have all witnessed through a special calling: being foster parents. Their all-encompassing provision for young lives brings children in need into their homes and incorporates them into their lives. These friends’ mental and physical strength are challenged daily, yet they strive to demonstrate Jesus’ love at every turn, 24 hours a day. 

There’s no end to the ways God can speak through people. When we are willing messengers, his gospel knows no bounds.