I recently did an interview talking about personal evangelism and my book Serving In His Court: Biblical Principles For Personal Evangelism From The Heart Of A Coach. The interviewer noted I had used the term ‘intentionality’ several times in describing the evangelistic process. He then asked me why I thought this concept was so critical. I replied, “Typically, we don’t engage anything of value without first being intentional!’ For example, if you want to learn how to play tennis, you must first be intentional to start the process – how about getting a tennis racquet. If you’re not intentional about getting a tennis racquet, you certainly will not learn how to play. How much more the challenging task of personal evangelism.
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15).
If we’re going to do anything, we first need to be ready. Yet before that there is the heart component. It’s interesting this verse connects sanctifying the Lord God and sharing one’s faith. How so? Well, we have many areas of our lives, and all of them we are to give the Lord full sway. In other words, He wants to be Lord over our finances, our purity, our time, etc. How about our witness? You betcha!
Being intentional in our witness is first a heart issue that commits this area of our lives to the Lord and allows Him to then order our steps. No matter how competent or incompetent your feel and regardless of your experiences in sharing your faith, intentionality is the start. Because, you see, the will to precedes the how to and the where to.
So the beginning point of the next season of your life – today – is an opportunity declare an evangelistic intentionality by saying to the Lord, “I will.”
May our heart echo that of the prophet Isaiah’s heart, when He responded to God’s question, “Whom shall I send?” – with – “Here am I! Send me.”
