Every now and then, I get reminded that life must move from the theoretical to the practical. This happened to me after my last blog post (“Helping People Find Their Way Back to God“). One of my friends on Facebook asked a simple question: How? How do you help people find their way back to God?
We know that’s what Christ-followers are supposed to do. But how? Assuming that you want to, how do you do it?
So … what will follow will be a series of posts that offer simple, biblical ways to help people find their way back to God.
Part One: Think Like a Bridge
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)
OK, technically-speaking, bridges don’t think. At least I don’t think they think. But stay with me …
There was a time when you were far away from God. Though you were created for fellowship with God, sin and rebellion had created a distance between you and Him. Try as you might, crossing the gulf by yourself was impossible to do.
What reconciles a person to God is the blood of Jesus.
There are people in your life who are “far away” from God. You cannot be the bridge; only Jesus can be the bridge. It is the cross of Christ that enables people who are far away from God to come closer.
But you can think like a bridge. People who think like a bridge ask questions like:
- How may I pray for you?
- How can I introduce a spiritual principle into this conversation?
- Who do I give credit to?
- Am I lucky or blest?
- What other friends can I introduce this friend to?
People who think like a bridge think incrementally. Their goal isn’t to cross the bridge in one full sweep but to move friends one step closer. To think like a bridge is to trust the Bridge Builder. He wants to work with you to reach your friends who are far away.