A few weeks ago, I talked about lukewarm faith, and I pressed forward some heartfelt honesty. Well, in today’s post, I once again want to be honest with you, my readers. I recently shared special music at my church, and the experience encouraged me to be bold in sharing my heart on a deeper level.
Recently, I had an opportunity to share my faith with an unbeliever. I had prayed for open doors prior to this encounter, but I didn’t anticipate battling with this individual for over an hour as we discussed the existence of God and one’s purpose here on this earth. I felt like this individual was trying to poke holes in my armor, so to speak, and at any moment, I felt I would crack under the pressure. Since I came to Christ at the age of nine, I have simply believed with a childlike faith. Although I have studied doctrine and theology, my faith has always come back to exactly what faith should be— simple belief. This encounter broadened my horizons and pushed me to explain to this individual exactly what I believe. It was 1:00 a.m., I was tired, and my mind was spinning. To top it off, conversations with this individual often left me frustrated, and this debate/ discussion was no exception.
I left our conversation feeling beaten down. I was exhausted, and it felt like I had just battled life and death with no eternal reward. This person had come no closer to accepting the gift of Christ’s salvation, and I felt like I had failed this person on so many levels. Even more so, I felt I had failed in my mission to share the Gospel.
I was blessed to be able to come home to a Christian roommate that night. She was there for me as I cried out all of my sorrows regarding this lost soul. Brokenly, I recall asking my roommate why I was crying over someone who could be so frustrating on so many levels. And that’s when she looked at me with utter seriousness and expressed the idea that perhaps I had more of a heart for evangelism than I had earlier recognized. Without the love of Christ inside of me, this individual would be unlovable on so many levels, but in the eyes of God, I was viewing a soul separated from Christ.
“It’s so sad,” I recall saying to my roommate. “How can this person live life with no purpose, without salvation?” For the first time, I truly saw this person with deeper vision, and it nearly broke my heart when I considered Christ’s abounding love and this person’s rejection of a free and priceless gift.
Ever since this encounter, I have turned my eyes to deeper truths, and I have prayed that God would open my mind and heart to those who need to hear his message. The lyrics to Brandon Heath’s song “Give me your Eyes” comes to mind, and I would like to share part of the chorus with you today as I sign off.
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
cassiecontemplates 