Thoughts for another day

Jan. 20, 2010

Today's verse: Philemon 14. but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. (NRSV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Anything forced upon people isn’t correct. God never impinges anything upon us; rather God feeds us with love and makes us hungry for Him because we learn we’re so comfortable in His presence and if we need to be comfortable, we need Him. I’d like to glean the implication of today’s verse and apply it in the area of proclamation. Presenting Jesus Christ to people: It can’t be forced. In many countries and in my own, we’ve seen the bad that force can do in bringing people to Christ. Even inducements can be bad for proclamation; giving a carrot and converting a person to Christ is very bad because the converted person seeks the carrot more than the Lord!

There are various ways in which we go about God’s business of proclamation in the world. I was told yesterday that gone are the days when Christian missionaries did something with the sole objective of making the beneficiaries Christian. Today, Christian missionaries silently work in very backward areas and teach the people new things, making them capable of adopting skills to generate livelihood and while about it, if the person is touched by God, then he/she may convert; which is good. Although I like this concept, I’d say that the beneficiary should be clear that it is our love for Christ which enables us to help them. If they have no idea of this, then it is futile.

But I must say this is a good way – no force, except their own will! There’s no question of forceful conversion just intentional, which is very good. Remember Jesus never asked us to force Himself on others. He only asked us to proclaim. This we can do in various ways. Even simple acts of love toward others will make them wonder why we do it and when we get an opportunity, we explain that it is Jesus in us who makes us what we are. Then the glory will go to Him.