created to run

I love to watch my dog racing through the snow.  He has this happy little bounce when he runs short distances, but then when he gets out into a big, empty field, he just races from one end to the other.  Everything about him seems happy when he's running--like there's nothing else he'd rather be doing and nowhere else he'd rather be.

When I see him running like that, I think about how God's creation is good.  He created my dog to run and play and to bring joy to those around him.  And he does that, just by being himself and doing the things he loves to do.

I think that people are like that too.  We're created in such diverse personalities, cultures, joys, and interests.  And I think that God intended that.  I think that he loves diversity and loves for us to do the things that we were uniquely created to do--we definitely don't all have the same interests, gifts, and abilities.  And we each can bring something unique to the world, just by being ourselves.

Each of us also brings something unique to the process of evangelism.  Maybe we're in a world that other Christians just don't get to.  Maybe we know people that other Christians don't know.  Maybe the things that I naturally love to do can be a bridge to other people with whom I can build a genuine friendship that covers the whole spectrum of life issues, including our relationships with God. 

So where do you go regularly that arises from who you uniquely are?  What kinds of things do you love to do?  How can you choose to do those things in a way that will allow you to build bridges and friendships with people who might not know Jesus?

If you want to take these questions a little deeper, here is a resource that may help you analyze your current openness to relationships with people outside your faith community and think about how to increase your exposure.