Sometimes you just gotta pull the plug. It’s a sordid tale in my life.
I spent many years polishing The Dead Sea Principle. Let me remind you about the Dead Sea. With salinity levels hovering between 30-35%, there are no fish or other sea animals. Little bacteria can even survive. In other words, there’s no life in the Dead Sea.
How did it get that way? Fresh water flows into the sea but there’s no outlet. Fresh water is changed to a stagnant saline solution as it’s stored there.
I tended my words the same way, pouring in a river of fresh water. I attended conferences, went to Bible studies, never missed a special speaker or a retreat. My car radio was tuned to Christian station and my friends were all believers.
Except one.
The water flowed in and the salt thickened.
One day, in a rush of spiritual energy, I decided to witness to my unbelieving friend. Flush with training from a new conference, I practiced my lines all the way to her house. I promised God I’d bring up the subject. I don’t remember praying for my friend but I did get my part memorized.
I did it. I got through the presentation. She listened politely and recited her part just like the conference teacher had suggested. (I don’t think she’d been at the conference…) In the end, she courteously told me that she had already figured out her own way to God and she’d just stick with that.
By my standards, I’d failed. But something interesting happened through that adventure. God pulled the plug on my Dead Sea. I was changed.
My outreach effort was stiff and formulaic, but I talked about my relationship with Jesus. It isn’t about a Roman road or debating points of doctrine. The Word had poured in to my life for many years but it was time to bless others with the grace, love and compassion I had received.
Did you know that you don’t need to swim in the Dead Sea? The salt level is so high you float on top. It’s safe and easy. But it’s dead.
Give me fresh water.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Eph 4:29
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4 comments:
Kathy,
This is awesome. An idea that is not explored much among today's Christians.
You have such a gift for bringing to the surface things that Christians need to wrestle with...for taking hard truths and tying them to simple stories. I think this ability makes your writing appealing to Christians and those who are searching alike.
Kate
Kate, thank you. I'm still exploring what it means to follow Jesus and sometimes that's VERY challenging!
This is my life. Safe, easy, and dead. I still have all the good stuff flowing in, and never let anything out. I read a book last year called Share Jesus Without Fear, by William Fay. Got all excited about it, listened to the companion CD, practically had the whole thing memorized, but then just fizzled out and went nowhere with it. Lord, help me to open my mouth and tell someone how they can know You!
Thanks for checking in. I'll be praying with you. I like Bill Fay's ideas to an extent - especially his questions for testing the spiritual waters - but I think he's a confrontational evangelist and there is sometimes another way. I'm going to write an essay on that at some point, but for now I'll say that there's a need for relational evangelism, too, where we share what's happening inside us. Something like, "I'm praying for you," or "God sure rescued me on this one" or whatever. And for loving people unconditionally. More on this later. Let us know how "opening your mouth" goes!
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