Have you left your light on? What is an evangelistic lifestyle? (Part Two)

We can all get a little stressed from time to time and situations come along which test us. It is on occasions like these that others look at us and notice how we handle problems and trials.

The saying that ‘we are often the only Bible that people read’, may be a cliché to some people, but I believe that it is very true. Do people that you know see a different “You” when you are not at church? When people find out that you are a Christian, it should not be a surprise, but rather a confirmation that there is something different about you.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15

This scripture came to mind immediately as I started to write this. Part of an evangelistic lifestyle means letting others see Jesus in our lives. Having the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts changes us. The change should be evident in our lifestyle for everyone to notice – not just the people at church on a Sunday or at prayer meetings.

Lifestyle Evangelists let the light of Jesus in their lives shine for all to see: In a fellowship that I used to attend, part of my responsibility as a leader was to open up the building and ensure everything was ready for people when they arrived. I did this every Sunday for a number of years. This meant I needed to leave home early and my wife Desiree and the children would arrive later, nearer the start of the service. Recently we moved to a new church and so now we travel to meetings together as a family.

At church we have all seen people arriving with big smiles on their faces saying “Good Morning Pastor”, “God Bless You” looking and sounding like very godly people. It is the same for me, but I must admit that over the preceding years I forgot what it was like getting my children ready and driving to church.

On the second Sunday at our new fellowship we were running late and the children were taking ages to get ready. They had been slow to get out of bed, then they had been forgetting things, losing things and it seemed they were doing it intentionally.

Finally - as if to test me - they wanted a last minute visit to the bathroom! My stress level kept escalating and when they were all at the front door eventually ready to go, I roared “Get in the car”!!! (I am certain that the roar came from my Celtic roots). It ended up that we weren’t late for the meeting at all, and though agitated on our ten minute journey, I arrived and managed to put a big smile on my face and said “Good Morning Pastor”, “God Bless You”. All parents, I am sure, will have experienced similar events in their own families.

This is a simple example, but the point I am making is that we need to reflect the light of Jesus in our lives, in all situations. People do genuinely watch us to see how we react to such challenges. You will have heard people say, perhaps jokingly, “I thought you were supposed to be a Christian”, as if we are meant to be perfect. The truth is though, when someone says that, it means that they really are watching you!

Key Point: People are watching what you do and say especially in difficult situations and challenges

When we shine the light of Jesus in our lives it does something quite amazing: It points people towards Him.

Thankfully, people didn’t comment if they saw or heard me as I raised my voice on that Sunday morning. The way we act and handle situations really does speak volumes. I am far from perfect and have got it wrong on many occasions and I probably will again.

Lifestyle evangelism is constant: An evangelistic lifestyle reveals a great deal about the reality of our faith and includes all aspects of our lives; our ambition, approach, accountability - all with the aim to do one thing:  to point people to our  Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our lives should consistently reflect our belief and trust in God to help us, whatever our circumstances. It is not easy, but relying on God’s word to guide us and remaining faithful in prayer daily will help considerably.  

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

Over the years I have been blessed to lead people to Christ through preaching, testifying and on a one to one basis sharing the Gospel. It made me pause and think, “Does my life reflect Jesus in the way it should, and does it point people to Christ?” The truthful answer is “In part” because there is much room for improvement.  

How much light does your lifestyle show?

It is a tough, but necessary question to ask ourselves. Living an evangelistic lifestyle is something that needs to be worked at, always mindful that we should ‘walk the talk’. Let’s pray that the light of Jesus in our lives will reveal the truth to others who will see, hear and believe our faith is real because of how we live. We must be a light wherever we are, whoever we are with and in whatever we say and do.

It’s a conscious decision that we must make, each day of our lives. Just like the old song goes:

“This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”