Use Me

Notes from Bill's sermon: 40 Days of Community: Evangelism
April 29, 2007

Personal Evangelism
1. Begin with an attitude of unselfishness
2. Bathe it in prayer - "Prayer Makes You Aware"
3. Build relationships through shared interests
4. Learn to love people - "How can I pray for you?"
5. Share your story - You are the message!
6. Be a genuine friend
7. Live expecting God to act
8. Imitate Christ be reflecting His character - Philippians 2:15
Bill said, "Our most dangerous prayer is when we pray, 'Lord, use me'".

As I was listening to Bill's sermon this morning, a person I work with popped into my head. Let's just call her Diane. I've heard from other co-workers that Diane is having an affair with a married man. She has confided this fact to one of my employees, but she has never said anything to me specifically. The only thing that Diane has mentioned to me is that she's interested in her next door neighbor (not the guy she's having the affair with). Once, I asked my employee, "I wonder why Diane doesn't tell me these things?" She responded, "Oh, Laura. Diane couldn't tell you about all that. She knows that you're not like that." When my employee first told me that, I was a little hurt. Hurt because I wasn't enough of a friend for Diane to confide in. But what my employee meant by her comment, was that Diane knew that I wouldn't approve of her behavior and that I was "different." In other words, I was a "goody two-shoes" (another phrase that has haunted me my whole entire life, but we'll get into that at another date). I wondered to myself what I would have said to Diane if she had told me what was going on with her. I know I would have told her that she was wrong and that I didn't approve of the lifestyle she was living.

But today, Bill said that God places people in our lives for a reason, and I thought about Diane. We already have a shared interest. We're both bean counters. I've tried my best to be a genuine friend and to reflect Christ's character. But to be honest, I haven't even thought about praying for Diane. She told me once that she grew up Baptist and I mentioned our church celebrating Easter at the Colesium, but that's just about all the "church" talk we've had. And probably the reason I haven't thought about praying for Diane is because I didn't think it would do any good. This morning, I was reminded that my faith has been shallow. I haven't allowed God to act in this situation. I had already written it off as hopeless.

So, I've had a change of heart. I pray that God will prove me wrong. I pray that where I may see a hopeless situation with Diane, that He will see an opportunity to act in a way that I could never imagine. I also pray that God will "use me." Obviously, Diane already feels that I'm "different." Now, I pray that God will give me the opportunity to talk to her--but not about what she's doing wrong, but about what God has done in my life. Pray with me for Diane.