Are you doing everything that you can to share the gospel? Do you look for opportunities? Do you pray that God will put people in front of you who need to be touched by his word? In other words, is there a sense of deep urgency to your evangelism? When I talk about urgency, I mean a deep sense of longing, almost to the point of frantic desperation.

One evening not too long ago I was sitting at home minding my own business when the phone rang. It was one of my closest friends, and I knew immediately something was wrong. One of our close mutual friends was missing. His wife had no idea where he was and had assumed the worst. The lost friend was an avid biker, and rode his bicycle anyplace that was a reasonable distance to travel. He had been on his bike that day but had not been heard from in hours.

By the time I received the phone call, action was already being taken. The lost friend's son was out scouring the usual travel routes, another friend was calling area hospitals, and still others were calling possible stopping points. Being that we were macho guys, we were ready to metaphorically saddle up our horses and ride like the wind (even though we had no idea where to go).

After a couple more tense hours of prayer and ongoing phone calls, our friend thankfully appeared, having been at a meeting that went long. It turned out to be a simple miscommunication and all turned out well. Upon hearing of our temporary lost sheep, our church pastor observed, "wouldn't it be great if we approached evangelism in the same way that we approached our lost friend?" What true words he spoke.

Of course, our lives are "busy", but are they really? What if we spent every waking moment thinking of ways to share the gospel? Do I pace the floor fretting about the possibility of lost souls in the same way that I paced the floor that night when my friend was lost? I admit, that seems a daunting task, and it cramps my personal desire for comfort, leisure, and physical rest. But think about all the time we spend entertaining ourselves, doing "mindless" activities, and generally wasting time. What if that time was given to the work of the kingdom?

Learn more about this author, Todd Pheifer.
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