Partners In The Gospel, Sort Of.

Recently I was sharing the gospel with a friend over Instagram messages. Somewhere in our conversation he mentioned that, because of what we’d been talking about, his feed had filled up with preachers.

That worried me a little. I wasn’t sure who the algorithm might serve up as a “gospel preacher,” so I started sending him videos from pastors who have helped me in my own walk.

The next day, he sent me one back. It was from a pastor I have taken every chance I could to put down — to cast doubt on his ministry and question its validity. I was uneasy when the video came through, but I watched it anyway.

The man I had dismissed for years laid out the gospel clearly. He said exactly what I had been saying for days, but this time it connected with my friend.

We all have ideas about how Jesus ought to be presented to people. Discernment is good and necessary. But don’t forget that it’s Jesus who draws people to himself; we are just messengers. He uses people we don’t particularly like or agree with, and he uses personalities that break through to one person but not another.

The Lord used the very man I’d spent years criticizing to reach my friend. Like Job, I’ll put my hand over my mouth.

Php 1:15–18.

Bless you,
Pastor.