Have you ever been in a store and just couldn’t find what you were looking for? I have – far too many times!
I will search aisle after aisle, to no avail, until I finally break down and do something which goes against the very essence of being male – I ask for help.
This is a major concession on my part, so I appreciate it when the person I ask, instead of just giving me directions, actually takes me to the correct aisle and points out the product I am looking for.
We human beings spend a good portion of our lives searching for something, many times with no real idea what we’re searching for. We just know something’s missing. What we don’t realize is what we’ve been searching for all along is God.
So we try this thing or that, read books, search the net, all in a vain attempt to fill that God-shaped emptiness inside. Finally, in desperation, we do something which goes against our very nature. We ask for help.
Unfortunately, when we do finally take this step and ask a Christian for help in finding God, too often they instead inundate us with information. Prophecy. Doctrinal arguments. Scriptural references.
I had a colleague once who, when describing how he’d “witnessed” to a patient, bragged, “I hit him with about 20 Scriptures in 10 minutes!” Ouch! That’s not witnessing! That’s assault!
Too often Christians’ approach to witnessing does nothing more than get the other person’s dander up. It causes them to get defensive and fight back with arguments of their own, pointing out inconsistencies in our arguments and even in our own lives.
What we really need is to follow the example of Philip. When he told Nathanael about Jesus, Nathanael’s response dripped with skepticism. He said, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Philip didn’t take the bait. Instead of arguing with his friend. Philip simply invited Nathanael to,, “Come and see.” (John 1:46 NIV).
in their search for God, it is not doctrine people need. What they need is a loving touch and a kind word. They need someone to hold out their hand and invite them to “Come and see.”
Everywhere you go today you will come in contact with people searching for a God to love. When this happens don’t just give them directions. Show them the way. Put your arm around them and invite them to “Come and see!”