The Doubts That Accompany Soul Winning
In all of the years that I have taught Children's Church, I have always stuck to the script. But the last time, it just wasn't working to do so. The Lord divinely led me into what he wanted me to teach and how to teach it. I had three students. Two were regular attendees and the third comes whenever she visits her grandparents.
The unchurched granddaughter was attentive and focused. At one point, I "just knew" she was going to accept the Lord, and that is exactly what happened. It was an exhilarating moment. But guess what immediately followed on the heels of that excitement. Doubt! I wondered, "Did she really get it, or was I giving her false assurance?"
It wasn't too many months ago that I led a man to the Lord. I got his number and gave it to my preacher son-in-law so he could follow up. (This guy attended church but apparently it was one of those mainline churches that don't preach the gospel). My son-in-law told me of his conversation with him, in which there was no real interest in discipleship.
Again, was I helping or hurting this guy? Let me say from the get-go that doubt never comes from the Lord. We are required to be faithful in proclaiming the gospel; the rest is up to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, when I have shared the gospel and it has been refused, I go away thinking, "I should have said this or that." But the truth is, most people need to hear the gospel an average of seven times before they understand it.
We never know with which kind of soil we are dealing. We do not know when, or if, in many cases, the person has heard the gospel or not. We need to come to the recognition that we are only God's messengers. We are told to proclaim the gospel throughout the world.
The enemy of our souls does not want us to do this, naturally. Fear and doubt are his major weapons in this warfare. Fear will keep timid souls (and even the not so timid) from even sharing the gospel in the first place. But for those of us who do share, the warfare continues.Satan wants to steal our joy, bring confusion, or in any other way rob us of the blessing of sharing Christ.
I suppose those who share the gospel much more frequently than I do have perhaps overcome the fear and doubt. I don't know. I've never really asked anyone. But I am confident I am not the only one who has been harassed by the devil in this way.
If you have never shared the gospel, be forewarned. Step out there and do it. Leave the rest in God's hands!
The unchurched granddaughter was attentive and focused. At one point, I "just knew" she was going to accept the Lord, and that is exactly what happened. It was an exhilarating moment. But guess what immediately followed on the heels of that excitement. Doubt! I wondered, "Did she really get it, or was I giving her false assurance?"
It wasn't too many months ago that I led a man to the Lord. I got his number and gave it to my preacher son-in-law so he could follow up. (This guy attended church but apparently it was one of those mainline churches that don't preach the gospel). My son-in-law told me of his conversation with him, in which there was no real interest in discipleship.
Again, was I helping or hurting this guy? Let me say from the get-go that doubt never comes from the Lord. We are required to be faithful in proclaiming the gospel; the rest is up to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, when I have shared the gospel and it has been refused, I go away thinking, "I should have said this or that." But the truth is, most people need to hear the gospel an average of seven times before they understand it.
We never know with which kind of soil we are dealing. We do not know when, or if, in many cases, the person has heard the gospel or not. We need to come to the recognition that we are only God's messengers. We are told to proclaim the gospel throughout the world.
The enemy of our souls does not want us to do this, naturally. Fear and doubt are his major weapons in this warfare. Fear will keep timid souls (and even the not so timid) from even sharing the gospel in the first place. But for those of us who do share, the warfare continues.Satan wants to steal our joy, bring confusion, or in any other way rob us of the blessing of sharing Christ.
I suppose those who share the gospel much more frequently than I do have perhaps overcome the fear and doubt. I don't know. I've never really asked anyone. But I am confident I am not the only one who has been harassed by the devil in this way.
If you have never shared the gospel, be forewarned. Step out there and do it. Leave the rest in God's hands!
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