People sometimes struggle with dieting. They lose weight and gain it back. They feel like a yo-yo: up and down. Some see the solution as not dieting, depriving yourself of certain foods for a period of time, but incorporating sensible choices as a way of life. Eating is essential to living, and when we incorporate healthy choices of food and make a life-style change in our eating habits, we will probably have more success.
People often become evangelistic for only a short time. We start a program of visitation and personal work. Then the intensity languishes and the work slows to a crawl. Could we be suffering from “yo-yo evangelism” — up and down, hot and cold? Maybe we need to take a hint from those in health and nutrition, and start viewing evangelism as a way of life, instead of a momentary focus.
Evangelism is certainly appealing to the mind of the godly, for, by definition, it involves “good news.” The message that saves men and women from sin and death, infusing them with a lively hope for heaven is worthy fodder for a healthy mind. Helping one see their eternal destiny, they can choose wisely the way of eternal happiness. Making it happen by seeking the lost and teaching them keeps us from a “knowing to do good but doing it not” type of sin (cp. James 4:17). We are living the life that Jesus patterned: seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10).
Evangelism as a way of life not only mirrors the life of Jesus but keeps us always near the heart of God. God “is not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He would that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). He does not get fired up for a few weeks and then allow these thoughts to languish. His desire for the lost to be saved continues to this very hour and should be a constant driving force behind making evangelism a way of life.
Evangelism spreads beyond the walls of the building when it becomes a way of life among the church’s members. When Christians are at work, school, home, or play, they are always looking for the opportunity to introduce people to the good news of Christ. “Furthering the gospel” is a daily goal (Philippians 1:5). A new acquaintance is offered a warm invitation to attend the worship services where the saving word is preached. The Christian is always ready to calmly offer a scriptural answer to all inquirers while being alert to opportunities to set up a home Bible study to helps others expand their knowledge of the whole counsel of God (Acts 5:42; 20:20, 27; 1 Peter 3:15). Buying up opportunities should characterize our daily walk (Ephesians 5:15; Colossians 4:5). Spiritual alertness creates evangelistic opportunities beyond the church building’s four walls.
Making evangelism our daily focus, the kingdom of our Lord has a greater opportunity to experience growth through “making disciples” (Matthew 28:18- 20) instead of merely “transferring disciples.” Growing the kingdom with new converts adds new souls energized with their own salvation to expand the gospel to more people. With more workers making evangelism a “constant” in their daily walk, we may find ourselves increasing in number “daily” (Acts 16:5).
Jerry Fite
