The Messiness of it All
The Great Commission as spoken by Jesus in Matthew 16:19-20, says we should,
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”1 (NIV)
This command is what springs every believer into action on a quest to fill the world with more
believers. It is one of the most fulfilling yet messiest jobs one could ever have. It is fulfilling
because the end result is that the former unbeliever receives a beautiful new life in Christ. What
can be messy is one may have to endure to get the unbeliever to experience this beautiful new
life. In his book, The Art of Personal Evangelism, Will McRaney suggests we look at
responsibility, from the perspective of agriculture, “…we are to plant, to water, and to harvest.
Paul is instructing us on the laws of the harvest. If we do not plant, then there will be no harvest.
If we do not care for what we have planted, there will be no harvest.”2 Simply put, it is our job as
believers to act as a “spiritual horticulturist” in a sense; we seek out nonbelievers, plant the
gospel, water their spirits, and watch God to turn their heats and faces toward Him, which results
in a beautiful harvest; more believers. The hardest part of the process I believe is planting seeds
of the gospel. “We plant seeds by loving people toward Jesus with small acts of kindness in the
name of Jesus. We serve them, laugh with them, and cry with them in their times of grief. We
speak positively about Christ and His church.” [We plant seeds by loving people toward Jesus
with small acts of kindness in the name of Jesus. We serve them, laugh with them, and cry with
them in their times of grief. We speak positively about Christ and His church.”3 Planting is the
dirtiest step I believe. It’s where you must unearth all of the doubt and insecurities a non-believer
may have to gain their trust so that you might begin telling them about the gospel. It has been my
experience that people live out of their experiences, so it might require you to meet them where
they are, in a drug infested neighborhood, in a bar, in a grocery store or even a church! When we
accept the charge from God we must be willing to do the work of planting. We follow that by
watering the spirit of the person, continuing to share the gospel in relatable ways including
prayer, then finally watching God turn their heart toward Him resulting in the harvest.
Was My Story Messy?
My conversion testimony was not super exciting as perhaps the stories of others. I
received Christ at the age of ten. I heard a still, soft voice, urging me to join the Kingdom of
God. The atmosphere was peaceful, and I felt complete peace when responding to the voice.
When I think about my Christian journey, it wasn’t messy at the start, but I can truly say my
story has become messy throughout the years. I have fallen away from the faith on several
occasions; losing faith in God because I was attacked with unexplainable sickness in my body,
because something I prayed for didn’t happen as I imagined, because I made poor choices as a
result of hurt by traumas caused by others, sometimes because of wrong choices that I made on
my own, and sometimes situations that occurred where I couldn’t trace why it was happening to
me. As I grew older through study and prayer, I began to recognize that all of these things that
1Unless otherwise noted, all Biblical references are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1988).
2McRaney, Will. The Art of Personal Evangelism. (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing, 2015) 46.
3Ibid, 46
seemed to “mess up” my walk with Christ, weren’t always because of what I was doing here on
earth, but also existed in the spirit realm. “Spiritual warfare begins at birth. At the time everyone
on planet Earth is born, they have an enemy whose goal is to keep them from God.”4 I remember
speaking to my Nana about some of the things I was experiencing, and she led me to this passage
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”
(Ephesians 6:12, NIV) I’d heard our Pastor preach from this text on multiple occasions, but once
I witnessed crazy things happening to me I fully understood this concept and sought God more
than ever before. I was determined to not allow the enemy to destroy the beauty God had placed
inside me. My Pastor said we fight to destroy the enemy with prayer and it’s exactly what I
began to do. Ephesians 6:10 says we should, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take
your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (NIV) So, armed with prayer and armed with the truth
of who God was to me, the gift of righteousness God gave me, the peace of God within me, faith
that God would deliver me from the enemy’s hands, my salvation and the word of God within
me, I began to fight; anytime the enemy rose against me, I went into fight mode and with God’s
help have been successful.
The Holy Spirit Does it Again
The Holy Spirit plays an integral role in the lives we live as believers. God has always
looked for a way to have an interpersonal relationship with those He loves, and the Holy Spirit
was the final vessel he used. Ephesians 1:13-14 states, “And you also were included in Christ
when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were
marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” (NIV) McRaney says it beautifully, “God
steps into the hearts of individuals in the person of the Holy Spirit.”5 It I for this very reason that
the Holy Spirit plays such an integral role when it comes to evangelism. Because He is already
alive in us, He provides the wisdom, guidance, and strength we need to do the job of the Great
Commission. Once we’ve done our part, He then finishes the job by lovingly imparting faith into
the unbeliever using the truth of God’s word to guide him/her toward a life in Christ.
4Earley, Dave. “Everyday Evangelism: Sharing the Christian Faith. (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2016) 145.
5Ibid, McRaney, 26.
