How much do you Care?

Acts 5: 27-28

Your life should make it clear to everyone who knows you that you are a follower of Jesus Christ.

In the past week, I have had a lot on my mind.  Eternity has been the biggest things.  Did you ever come face to face with the thought “I wonder have I done my Best for Jesus?”  Or “I wish I had given Him more?”   I have to say that at the age of 68, I often get frustrated with myself.  I want to do for others; I want to be a blessing to those around me.  My life has changed drastically in recent years.  I tried very hard to keep up with my ministries, like teaching my Sunday school class, but often I let them down, especially after I had a second heart attack…. I just didn’t have the strength to do as good of a job.  It took a while, but I finally accepted it. Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content” I had to do what I could, where I was. I can still talk ladies, and that means I can talk about the Lord.

A couple years ago, there was a theme going around, “Bloom where your planted.”  I never used that theme, I am one of those people that like to be different, and God did bless and give me ideas and the Ladies at Eifel Baptist helped so much in carrying out my plans.

What I’m trying to say is…you and I must do what we can, where we are, and realize that often, God sends people into our lives and we have that one opportunity to make a difference in their life.  Do you understand what I’m getting at?  Let me share something that happened to me many years ago.

I was in High school, already a Christian, and carrying my Bible every day. Another student, Tommy, (changed his name) was in my homeroom all four year of high school.  Well the second day of my freshman year, he ask if he could carry my books. (This was a first for me)  Anyway, I handed him my books, with the Bible on top.  He let me know he liked me.  He even went so far as to make a huge poster saying, “I love Jimmiedean!” and held it up for everyone to see.  I let him know that I did not appreciate this.  In later years os school, he frequently ask me out on a date.  Every year, he would ask to carry my books, and continued to send my notes.  We graduated, and I lost touch with him.  It wasn’t long before I heard that he had died. 

I was shocked.  I realized that Tommy was dead, and I had never one time told him that I was a Christian.  I carried my Bible every day.  I think of what a hypocrite I was.  I have thought of him often over these 50 years…and I hope that someone else shared the Gospel with him.  God gave me hundreds of opportunities to tell this guy about Jesus and I blew it. I truly believe that he loved me…and I didn’t care enough to tell him about the One who loved me and died so that I could go to heaven. I had chance after chance to share the Gospel with him.  Will I ever be able to fix this?  No.  And I may have been the only one who could have told him. Remember the story of the rich man in hell calling out for someone to go tell his brothers…so they would not come to where he was. Do you have sisters and brothers who need to know how they can go to Heaven?  Tell them, first of all, let them know that you love them and never want to see them go off into eternity without knowing Christ as Savior.  If you need Scripture verses, contact me via email.  herbandjd@aol.com

I wrote a true story many years ago called, “I thought it was the Preacher’s Job.”  Ladies, it’s not just the Preacher’s job.  It’s my job, it’s your job.  Perhaps one day I will share that story with you, but right now, today, I want you to think about your best friend, someone you love or care about.  Have you ever told them about Jesus?  Have you told them that you are going to Heaven one day?  Pick up some tracts from your church, bring them home, and share them with others.  I know for certain that I have at least two people who have died that I spent a whole lot of time with, but never told them about the Lord.  I know that their blood in on my hands. Below I’ve closed with a poem. I think you’ll find that it’s words hit home.  I know it touched my heart.  Do others see Christ in me?  Do I let them know that the best thing that ever happened to me was not marrying my husband, or ever having my three sons, the best thing that ever happened to me was the day I accepted Jesus Christ as a Savior.  Let’s love our friends enough to tell them about the Lord.

Is your life the window through which others see

The Christ Who died for you and me?

Or is it smudged by the dirt of sin,

No longer a beacon of God's love within?

by

M. Elaine Fowser