Devo 4
9/22/99
"Transcend the Stereotype"
This last week has been a good one for me. Not only have I started a new job, but I've also been learning a lot. Most of what I say today has been inspired by a book which was recommended to me by a friend. The book is "Becoming a Contagious Christian" by Bill Hybels; the friend is someone I know. I am only a little more than halfway through the book, but I didn't want to wait until next week to write about it, and my thoughts are more on a general nature concerning the overall theme of the book rather than anything specific. I do recommend this book to any and all people interested and I believe the ten or so dollars you spend on it will be a good investment.
I said in my first Devo that the purpose of any Christian should be to reach out to others with the good news of Christ. If I were to ask you to name some methods of outreach, or evangelism, what would you say? Probably some would mention door-to-door evangelizing. Some would get images of Billy Graham speaking to thousands in a packed stadium. Or maybe even some would think of the infamous televangelists know for their extortion. Now I'm asking this question to Christians, but I'll bet that if I were to ask the same question to non-Christians, the response would be about the same. The reason: it has become a stereotype, a generalization.
Making stereotypes is unavoidable. There seems to be something in our brains which likes to classify a group with as few parameters as possible. Like blondes are dumb, or tall people are athletes, or Christians are judgmental, Christians think that if I don't go to church than I'll go to hell, Christians think they are God's gift to earth...etc. Those last few are what I'm afraid most unbelievers view Christianity as. And what is really sad is that most every stereotype is based somewhat on fact. No one would have ever said 'tall people are athletic' unless they had observed several tall people that were athletes. By the same token, no one would have ever said 'Christians are judgmental' unless their experience with Christianity had shown this to be true.
I'm afraid that it is this stereotype that we have to go up against every time we want to witness to someone. Unfortunately, as this stereotype gets passed along and increased, our job becomes harder and harder. It seems that anymore, the best way to end a conversation is to say, 'by the way, I'm a Christian'--boom, the door to their heart slams shut, and the defenses are raised. The last thing they want is to become one of those loony Bible-beaters. Because this stereotype has become so widespread, it now takes, in most cases, more than just a five minute talk with a total stranger to bring them to Christ. What we need to do is to find a way in which we can show these people that the stereotype is wrong--that Christians can have fun too--that Christians, in fact, can have more fun than an unbeliever could ever have. And that's only because we have something they don't--Jesus Christ in our hearts, and with that the assurance of eternal life in Heaven.
It seems to me, that the evangelistic approach for a long time has been to get out there and win as many as you can--almost like a race to see who can win the most converts. Start down the street, talk to the little old lady inside the first house and maybe her grandson who's playing with his toy car, pray with them, and move right to the next house maybe saying a little prayer that God would help them in their faith--but somebody else please Lord, I'm too busy winning more souls for You. Don't worry about who the person is, it's their soul that's important. In my opinion, this is just the opposite of what it should be. After all, how will people believe that we are genuinely interested in their soul, when we can't show that we are interested in them personally. By charging down the street trying to fill a quota of converts for the day, we fall right into the stereotype of a Christian. People will start hiding from us like they hide from the Mormons.
What we need to do is to start showing people that we are interested in them. Just like God didn't demand anything of us before He loved us, we shouldn't demand anything of any unbelievers before we show our love for them. Don't get too discouraged if it takes years to win just one convert. You're diligence and perseverance in being their friend will speak volumes more to them than a guy ever could who stopped in off the street to give a crash-course in salvation. The best way to show people what Christianity really is, is by spending time with them and letting them see your life--and they will never see this until we decide to spend some time with them and get to know them as a person, not just a potential convert.
Again, I know I spoke a lot of 'ideals' here and didn't give too many practical examples, but I want to leave that largely up to you. The book I'm reading stresses the importance of finding your own approach to diligence--something utilizing your own specific bundle of gifts and talents. Above all, daily time with God is essential.
Until next time...