Why is Evangelism so difficult for so many?

One of the questions I’m contemplating today is, why is evangelism so difficult? Sharing our faith with others so difficult. I am coming to see that the presence of an evangelistic spirit is a sign that a Christian’s primary allegiance is to Christ, that is, their love for Christ has permeated their entire life. Evangelistic people have one primary allegiance in all they do: their faith shines forth whether they are at the store, or in school, or at work or at home. Their primary allegiance to Christ is a value that colors everything they do or say. It isn’t something they have to do, rather it is more of who they are. This isn’t true of every Christian. Perhaps this is because Western society has divided our culture into private and public spheres. For most Americans, religion is often considered a private matter. So what governs the public side of life?
On the mission field, missionaries often discover that new Christians have dual allegiances. What this means is that new converts have changed their allegiance to Christ, but they retain previous allegiances to traditional values or power sources. So they might go to church on Sunday, but they also visit the medicine man when their child gets sick on Thursday. They do this because they haven’t come to that the medicine man is sort of a false Christ. Hopefully, this will change in time. If one applies this model to the USA, could it be that where an evangelistic spirit is lacking, people as are maintaining a dual allegiance? To put it another way, a person with a dual allegiance demonstrates faith in their private, religious expressions, but really hasn’t let it take hold in the other area of their lives. They reveal their allegiance to Christ inside the buildings specifically designated for religious purposes (Churches); but outside these buildings, they allegiances are to secular values, many of which are good such as helping others, volunteering, hospitality, but which are kept separate from a religion or a religiosity. Sickness is a medical problem, and doesn’t really concern God unless medicine has failed. Finances are the result of personal decisions and wise or unwise choices, and are not considered gifts from God judging from American’s behaviors and attitudes. Americans also value education based upon human knowledge, yet education about religious knowledge is hardly attended or almost never funded. Could this be a sign of dual allegiance, a secular allegiance to science and technology, and a religious allegiance to Christ? If this is true, such insight might help explain why evangelism is so much work for so many Christians; they haven’t recognized that they are maintaining dual allegiances. Something to think about.

What Part is truly Christian? What is American?

One benefit of being an international traveler is that cross-cultural experiences provide an individual with the opportunity to discover what part of oneself is truely Christian, and what part is merely American. So much of what we take to be true is shaped by our culture, it forms of perceptions, shapes our values, and literally prepares us for the American Way of life. But outside of America, our way of life does not always work; nor is it understood outside of our American context. Such experiences are helpful, in that they prompt reflections: "Is the core of my personal identity essentually formed by American Cutlrual values (Pragmatism, optimism, individualism, etc...) or am I shaped by the Gospel of the Kingdom? Is the literal and figurative center of my world more about geography or a certain place, such as "the American Way," or is the center of my world more about a spirituality, a specefic way of living and loving? Is it not possible or even desireable to separate my American Identity from my Christian identity? What ever the case, it is certain that the later needs shapes the former, and not the other way around. Many Christians are unaware of how much culture has shaped their understanding of Christianity, and in turn, their view of the world. We are to be aliens and stangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11), so need to be firmly grounded upon Christ, and His Word. Wherever we go, as Christians and citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem, we should be aware of a "not-at-home feeling," that heightens our sensitivity to our surrounding culture; Just as we long for those "at home" moments with Jesus in worship, prayer and meditation upon his Word. The more we are at home with Jesus and His Word, the more we can view this world from an outsider's perspective, thereby being a witness of a better way of life -- a life that leads to eternal life with Christ in our heavenly home. (Based upon and paraphrased from an article I read at www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20010716JJ.shtml )

Romans 12:1-2: Not conformed, but transformed

Romans 12:1-2 is an interesting commentary upon how to motivate a congregation towards becoming active in evangelism. “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Notice how the heart of the matter in verse two is NOT what we do, but the way we think, the way we understand the world. Too often, we seek to address the issue of evangelism by introducing a new program for people to become involved in; but if people’s way of thinking isn’t changing, if it isn’t being tranformed by the renewal of their mind with the Word of God, then any evangelism program is doomed from the start. In all we do as Christians, and especially as the Church, renewal of our minds through the Word needs to be foundational, so the way people think is changed, so they can begin to see the world anew – transformed by the Word, able to discern and follow God in his good, pleasing and perfect Will.