I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have full understanding of every good thing you have in Christ. (Philemon 6, NIV)
Now in his 60s, a friend of mine has really turned to golf as one of his great pleasures in life. He takes a holistic view, not just loving it for the challenge but also for the “walk in the park” aspect of the game.
In recent months he has even dared what many men have not: he has introduced his wife to the game. First they went to the range, then to the local par-3 course. Last week I encountered them on a beautiful sunny afternoon, walking the front nine of a favorite local course. She was playing from 200 yards in, and experiencing what all of us do in those early days of our golf—inconsistency.
“It’s harder than it looks when you see the pros on TV, isn’t it?” I asked her.
“Yes, they make it look easy,” she said, “especially the putting.”
Golf is meant to be shared. It’s a treat to bring new friends into the game, to help them past those early frustrations, and to add a playing partner to our favorite foursomes. Their presence adds new pleasure to the game.
When we read Paul’s short letter to Philemon, we are reminded that our faith too is meant to be shared, and that in this sharing our own understanding of Christ increases.
But what does this mean, really—“sharing our faith”? As something of a Christian cliché, we may think only in one direction long fixed in our minds: delivering a prepared gospel message in so many words. This is odd, for we know full well that our faith is far more than our words. So let’s consider the idea afresh.
To share my faith is to speak openly and respectfully of who Jesus is, of what he came to do on the cross, and of how his blood covers our sins.
To share my faith is to converse naturally about the way God infuses my days with his provision and blessing, even when my life is checkered with physical, economic, or relational difficulties.
To share my faith is to demonstrate generosity and compassion, trusting that as I give away what I have been given, God will continue to provide for all my true needs.
To share my faith is to intelligently address popular God-doubting worldviews with perspectives that assert God’s preeminent role in all the matters of the universe.
To share my faith is to show that while “physical training is of some value,” we do far better to elevate spiritual pursuits above any fleshly course, because “godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
Indeed, to share my faith is to, in all words and actions, demonstrate how firmly I believe in that promise—the promise of eternity with the Savior who gave his life that I might gain it.
It is in this sharing that God increases my greatest blessing, the blessing of knowing and being known by him—that is, the “full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”
—
Jeff Hopper
March 19, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.