By Audrey Bauman

Romans 15: 20 – 22    (NLT)

“My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. ²¹ I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,

“Those who have never been told about him will see,
     and those who have never heard of him will understand.”

²² In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.”

Today’s devotions contain a big challenge.  Paul is talking about the focus of his ministry.  He wants to go to people who have never heard the Good News.   

When I first read this whole chapter as I was thinking about what to write, these verses really jumped out at me. I admit that I’m shy about talking about my faith to people around me who are not church goers.  I don’t want to offend them, and I don’t want them to think that I’m “hitting them over the head” with something they disagree with. In fact, I can remember times when I should have spoken out but regretfully didn’t.   Why didn’t I speak up?

An interesting situation occurred when I was teaching at Directions Alternative Program.  My co-teacher, Rob, and I were great friends and had talked a lot about our lives.  He knew my faith meant a lot to me, and although he didn’t think Christianity was bad, he considered it irrelevant.  One day our students were talking about music, and Rob got this great idea that the kids should each bring in their favourite music and we’d play the song and discuss what they liked about it.  So each day for a while, one student played his song after lunch and we talked about the lyrics and the music style.   Those lyrics often started really good discussions. After the first week, Rob said to me that we should include ourselves in this ‘adventure’ and told me to bring in a hymn.  I remember staring at him and saying I didn’t think the Board would condone something like that.  He insisted that all this music was private selections and that I could do just that – so I nervously did.  We had an interesting discussion that day about the hymn, Amazing Grace.  Later one of our students came to me and told me her family went to church, but she wasn’t sure religion made sense and wondered if we could talk about it together, and we did here and there over the semester.  I look back on that event in my life with wonder that a non-Christian would push me into an opportunity like that.

There are people who come to LSA and its various programs – youth programs, Divorce Care, etc. who are not from church backgrounds. There are groups that rent our space. I don’t think we should shove our faith down their throats, but what an opportunity we have to share our faith in practical ways with them.   They are the people Paul talks about – those people who have never really heard about the Good News of Jesus in a way they understand.  So I’d encourage you to become more aware of how you can share your faith by volunteering for various programs.  Look for those moments in all areas of your life that give you an opportunity.  I don’t want you to look back at all those moments you missed with regret like I do.  Take up Paul’s challenge.  

Our song for today is Nobody by Casting Crowns and Matthew West.