ChosenRebel's Blog

Friday is for Heart Songs

If your team makes it to the playoffs (pick the sport, it doesn’t matter), if they succeed where others fail, if they overcome their injuries and their foibles, your joy will explode not in an explanation but in a loud and enthusiastic announcement, “We’re going to the playoffs!”

That distinction is at the core of one of our major problems in relationship to the sharing the gospel with the modern world (or post-modern, if you prefer).

Too much of our approach to the world is filled with explanation, debate, discussion, argument, defense, and persuasion.

All of these have their place, but not the place of first position.

We are heralds of news first.

Explanation, debate, defense—all of it should follow not lead. The world needs to see our joy in the God who has saved us. They need to hear the news as good news. They need to hear a declaration not an explanation.

Oh, I know they need the explanation too, but not first. First they need to hear, see, feel that the explainer (you) has something worth hearing about. They need witnesses saturated with the joy of their salvation and the wonder of being loved by the greatest lover in the universe. So if you are missing joy in your approach to your friends, do what David did so you can do what David wanted to do.

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation
      and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach sinners your ways
      and sinners will return to you.”            

……                                                                 (Psalm 51:12-13) 

Let’s fill the world with the joy of the good news. Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord. The Christmas season is a great time to start. After all, it was good enough for angels!