Do you find yourself comparing with others in ministry? “They are just gifted at evangelism, preaching or discipleship. I can never be like that.”
Do we serve out of our gifts or training?
Those who knew my late husband, Raouf Ghattas, would say he was a gifted evangelist. He could talk to anyone, anywhere about Jesus. He could take any subject and turn it into a bridge to the gospel. He led countless souls to the Lord.
Yes, all that is true. Talking about Jesus was like breathing to Raouf.
But it was also learned.
Whether you can believe it or not, Raouf would always describe himself as an introvert. He would get sweaty just thinking to talk to a group of people. So, how did this supposedly shy, introverted man become a firebrand for Christ?
First, he had a life-changing conversion experience.
He went from a heavy-drinking engineer to a sober evangelist overnight. He stopped smoking immediately after fifteen years of the habit. He began sharing his new faith with his engineering colleagues, then left the profession altogether to go to seminary.
He plugged himself into a local church, voraciously read his Bible, and took a class on how to witness.
He was discipled by his church family, and in that witnessing class, he learned the principles of sharing his faith that would last a lifetime.
I realized that it’s something like when I took Lamaz before the birth of our first child. My coach told me that by practicing the breathing techniques every day prior to delivery, they would come naturally when the time came. She was right, and I can still remember my Lebanese nurses and doctors being so impressed with my ability to go through labor without medication, because I could control the pain with the breathing techniques.
When we practice sharing Christ at every opportunity, it becomes natural to do so at every opportunity the Holy Spirit provides.
So, was Raouf gifted? Yes, because he had the power of the Holy Spirit in him to take what he learned and use it to God’s glory.
Was Raouf trained? Absolutely. He was trained through that class, his Bible studies at his church, and through his studies at seminary. He was also trained by every encounter that he had with another person. He learned what to do and what not to do through experience.
Do you feel you’re not gifted? Don’t go there. If you know Jesus, you’ve got the same Holy Spirit that did amazing things through the apostles and great evangelists and missionaries of the centuries. He’s just waiting on you to take what you’ve learned and put it into practice.
Don’t feel trained? No excuse there as well, I’m afraid. You’ve got your local church, nearby Bible colleges or seminaries, and now-a-days even YouTube videos by reputable evangelistic groups that can help you learn how to share your faith.
May the Lord spur us on to use our gifts and training to his glory to the expansion of his Kingdom.
Grace and Peace