Has an opportunity to present the Gospel ever presented itself on a silver platter for you?
One evening, my mom sat in the fellowship hall of a church, quietly reading a book in the corner as she waited for my grandmother. Shortly, a group of teenaged boys came in from the gym to enjoy a spread of pizza.
The pastor of the church came into the hall and Mom noticed the boys’ leader suddenly spring forward. “Pastor!” called the man. “Pastor, come here and tell the boys about the Gospel. Just five minutes, please. Five minutes. Boys, listen up. He’s going to tell you the Gospel.”
All the boys stood around, respectfully quiet and attentive. With a smile, the pastor began, “I hope you boys had a good time tonight and that you know you are always welcome here.”
Mom listened in amazement as the pastor rattled on for a few minutes about church activities, programs, and upcoming services. He wrapped up the short speech, “So, I hope you know you’re always welcome. And if you want to talk about Jesus, just come talk to me.”
Surprised and saddened, Mom came home and told us about her evening. “The pastor was handed the opportunity to present the Gospel on a silver platter. It couldn’t have been any more easy for him to open up and say something. But, he didn’t.”
Writing is your silver platter.
When someone buys your book, goes to your blog, opens your newsletter, pauses on your social media posts, they are willing to hear what you have to say. They assume they are going to hear your heart, your voice, your message.
Are you presenting the Gospel on your silver platter? Or offering your hopes, dreams, needs, and opinions until there isn’t space on the tray for God’s Good News?
There are a lot of reasons why we choose (yes, choose) not to proclaim the Gospel in our stories.
“I don’t know how. I’ve never seen it done. I wouldn’t know know where to begin, much less how to end.”
“It’s fiction. How seriously should the Gospel be taken in the lives of fictional characters?”
“God gave me a different message.”
“Somehow, the Gospel message doesn’t fit with the historical, fantastical, or emotional meaning of my book.”
“People don’t want to hear that these days. If I write that, my book will be labeled as preachy and no one will buy it.”
“I want to reach the unsaved with a message of hope, but if I mention Christ, they won’t buy it.”
“I won’t get very far as an author in the name of Christ.”
Do any of those resonate with you?
I’m sure you could add to them from things you’ve heard or believed. Thing is, we have lots of reasons that we give God as to why His message isn’t pertinent to our stories. Why we need to just write a story this time and we’ll share the Gospel in a different way.
Friend, let me remind you: we are not authors and writers. We are in Christ.
In Christ, we are beloved children, who love to tell our Father’s stories (1 John 3:1-3, Psalm 71:15).
In Christ, we are ambassadors, who carry a message on our Brother’s behalf (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).
In Christ, we are redeemed – and oh, how we love to proclaim it! (Colossians 1:13-14, Psalm 107:2)
I encourage you, friend, take the silver platter offered to you and use your stories to present the glorious Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ alone!
Hidden with Christ in God,
Alyson Jensen