Fried Rice - Part 2

Earlier this week, I recounted Annika’s impromptu evangelism lesson. She said that Christianity should be shared the way she came to like Asian food: no one forced it upon her, but everyone around her who was eating it appeared to thoroughly enjoy it. It seemed so tasty that she asked for a bite and has been a connoisseur ever since. She even taught herself how to make chicken fried rice for dinner this week!As I finished writing Tuesday’s post, I couldn’t help but feel there was another facet that had to be addressed. We absolutely should prioritize spending time with people who don’t know the Lord; we must invest in relationships to earn the right to speak into people’s lives. But there’s something more that we’re called to. I couldn’t get past “thoroughly enjoy it.” I realize Christianity isn’t fried rice… nonetheless, the thought brought conviction to me.How often would those around me think I thoroughly enjoy the life the Lord has given me? Do I communicate the peace and contentment that God provides? Or do I more frequently communicate fret, worry, or ungratefulness? Do I acknowledge God’s provision of everything good in my life or do I take the credit?The moral of this blog is not to fake being the super happy or humble Christian to your unbelieving friends. Everyone sees through fake. Rather, this is a call to consider whether we live a life of gratitude or a life of self-pity.This past Sunday, we were reminded of Horatio Spafford’s story behind the famous hymn, It is Well with My Soul. If Jesus can give him peace after losing five children, we must realize that sincere joy is possible in our own daily lives… even if our circumstances are tumultuous. Our heart is to reach people with hurts just like ours and to show them that they, too, can have hope.I challenged you on Tuesday to take an hour this week to intentionally invest in a relationship with someone who does not know the Lord. If you haven’t yet done so, you still have time. Perhaps, like me, this investment is also a reminder of the hope we have in Christ. In our darkest days, God is with us in the valley. In our ho-hum days, he guides us. We only get to the mountaintop because of Him.Let our words and actions reflect what most of us know in our hearts, yet somehow lose in our conversations. Our gratitude and perspective will get dulled if we aren’t intentional about keeping our eyes on our great King. We cannot consider our intentionality an option. We’re called to give people hope. May we shine bright so others will want to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”