There are 2 types of people in the world of computing, those who keep their inbox emptied out and orderly at least weekly, if not daily. That’s my husband. And those who let their email pile up for months and then spend days cleaning it out. That’s me. I started that process this morning by accident, as I usually do.
When I logged in to check my mail this Monday morning, I stumbled upon an email that came from a political organization that has been filling up my inbox this election year. I thought to myself, I’ve gotten a lot of those lately. Let me do a search, and delete them all. There were 32 of them. Select all. Delete. Easy.
But then… I need to get rid of some of these other emails that come in a couple of times a week. Which led me to where I am currently, 310 emails deleted with 2,707 remaining in my inbox. The email purging takes forever because I treasure info. Therefore, I must examine any email with a subject line indicating it may contain an important nugget I’ve forgotten about. And thus, this blog.
The searching and purging was going along fairly quickly until I came upon a personal message from a friend which indicated it had some of her favorite recent blog articles. (“Recent” meaning from 2016!) Each of the articles were about evangelism – a weakness of mine. I allow Southern hyper-politeness, insecurity, and people-pleasing tendencies to ramp up the fear in me about sharing the gospel. I know it is the enemy and that I am in a spiritual battle, so I’ve committed this year to embrace “Who’s Your One?” and to obediently share Jesus even when the fear churns in my gut.
As I read the email, one paragraph from Lori McDaniel jumped off the screen and grabbed me.
Learn to extract gospel moments from everyday life. Moments are as small as an atom. They are so small they can be overlooked yet so powerful that if split they create an energy that explosively rearranges the landscape of anything nearby. Take hold of small moments you have with people. “Paul reasoned in the marketplace everyday with whoever happened to be there.” (Acts 17:17) You may not lead someone to Christ everyday. Yet, you can weave in threads of gospel truth into so many conversations.
Wow!
The atomic bomb basically ended WWII. It revolutionized warfare. The atom, the smallest of particles, unable to be seen with the naked eye, contains world-changing potential! And so do the moments of our days!
Do I see my moments as having such powerful potential? Do I use my moments with family or friends for heavenly purposes? In the grocery check-out line, at the gas pump, or in a doctor’s waiting room for instance, do I think about sharing Christ? Do I wait impatiently cruising my phone, treading water, wasting time? Or do I pray and listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and make the most of my moments “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” as Ephesians 5:16 tells us in the King James Version? Am I spirituality aware that the Father may have put me in that place at that time to speak the Gospel to a soul that desperately needs to hear it?
The New International Version of Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us to “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Wow!
I kept having those little “Wow!” bomb drops in my thoughts as I contemplated Lori’s quote.
Can you even imagine the impact of a full-out atomic war? I grew up in the 60’s where bomb shelters and fear of nuclear war prevailed. My childhood dreams were full of those nightmarish images. I can imagine. City flattening, nature annihilating, radiation poisoning, life changing, world landscape altering atomic bombs shook my little kid body with fear. An atom bomb dropped a hundred miles from my house could alter my life!
Now as an adult I am confronted with the thought that my discarded moments could be atoms in God’s hands if I give them to Him. The potential of my moments could metaphorically flatten a city for God! That moment given to Him could radiate, not poison, but the Gospel for a hundred – or more – miles around! That tidbit of my life could be life changing for that 1 person I share the Gospel with, and not just them but for the family they are in – their spouse, children, parents, mothers & fathers, brothers & sisters, and aunts & uncles! That atomic moment has the potential to alter the landscape of the world!
Our country is in crisis mode right now. Problems abound. Sin is the root problem for every issue the news or the politician tells us about. What is the answer? Jesus is the only answer. Strengthening laws, abolishing old ways, government handouts cannot rescue us. Without Jesus Christ our world is decaying, dying, and hopeless. There is a Redeemer for sin that the hopeless souls in our world need to hear about, need to know. Are we telling them? Am I? Are you? Am I willing to embrace every stray moment and speak the truths of the Gospel into the sin and decay? Am I willing to love the world as much as God the Father did, so that I lay down my life and my will to do His will? Am I willing to get past my fear and use my atomic moments to share Jesus?
Priceless 